Striped Ties
by Darkened.Weakness
Summary: Chase and Pippa are twin descendants of Harry and Ginny. Ryleigh is the granddaughter of Draco, but somehow she ends up sorted into Gryffindor. Life at Hogwarts hasn't changed much, but remnants of the battle against Voldemort still linger in the castle. Rated T, because I don't know where it's going.
1. Sorting

"D'you reckon we'll make any friends?" Pippa Hollingberry asked quietly as she clung to her twin brother's robes. The tall stone walls around them were rather intimidating as they waited to be called into the Great Hall. In order to be sorted, Professor Ravensdale had asked them to wait for his signal before coming into the hall where all the other students already waited.

"You'll be fine, Pip." Chase took his sister's hand in his, which was a little cold and clammy. So he was afraid too. Pippa didn't feel quite so bad about being nervous, then. At least she and Chase would be in the same house. They wouldn't split up twins, would they? They couldn't. Pippa nodded once as she came to the conclusion and bumped her shoulder against Chase. He grinned down at her; already he was a head taller than she was, and they were hardly eleven years old. His hair was auburn red and cut so it fell just under his ears on the sides, but a little shorter in the front so it wasn't in his eyes. He had strong features, which were tempered with a light dusting of freckles across his nose. His hazel eyes looked particularly green today, although Pippa could see the flecks of gold and the blue around his pupils. Above his eyes were thick eyebrows that arched slightly, the same color as his hair. He had broad shoulders for his age, and Pippa knew that under his robes he was slim and fit from playing Quidditch with their father and chasing his sister around the yard in silly games of tag.

"What house d'you reckon we'll be in?"

"What house d'you want to be in?"

"I dunno. A good one."

"I bet we'll be in Gryffindor." Chase said, certainty in his voice. Both of their parents had been in Gryffindor, so it stood to reason that they'd be the same. Pippa wasn't entirely sold that Gryffindor was the place for her; Ravenclaw sounded nice, and Slytherin… well, she assumed her parents would be a little disappointed if they ended up in Slytherin, but at least it wasn't Hufflepuff. Pippa had always heard that Hufflepuff was a good house, and plenty of good witches and wizards came from it, but she just didn't want to come from the black and yellow badger house.

"Is that what you want?"

"It is." Chase smiled at her, and Pippa was immediately caught in his positivity. She was glad that they were so close, because otherwise she didn't think she'd ever be able to do anything. Chase was the one that knew what he wanted, that was brave and strong and able. Pippa just followed along in the path he created, and both were perfectly happy with that arrangement.

"Then we'll be in Gryffindor." Pippa bounced lightly on the balls of her feet as she waited for the giant doors to open and let them in. When she decided that she was bored with that, she started glancing around at the other students, milling about aimlessly, talking quietly, looking just plain nervous and alone. Pip was always glad that she had Chase to go with her, because she felt bad for some of the other children. At least some of them had older brothers and sisters already in there. That had to help some.

There was one group of kids that seemed completely at ease in the back of the group. They laughed and chatted, and Pippa was fairly certain that they'd been friends for a good while. There was a boy with black hair and bright blue eyes, very pale and slim, that wore his uniform with ease and comfort. There was another boy with the same black hair and pale skin, but his eyes were a very pale green that almost blended in with the rest of his eyes. A girl with pale blonde hair, almost white, was hanging around with them; her eyes were a very bright green, and she was almost as tall as Chase, certainly taller than the other two boys she was with. Pippa watched as she grinned and laughed with the others in her group. Pippa looked away quickly as she looked at the other students, a gleam in her eyes.

"I'd bet those are Slytherins." Chase said, obviously looking the same way Pip had just been. "They seem the type, don't they?"

"I don't know." Pippa said quietly, looking at her shoes. "Maybe they're really nice and they'll be in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw or… or Gryffindor or something." She knew Chase wasn't going to like her last suggestion; he had a lot of their parents' bias in him. Pippa just had a lot more difficulty accepting that certain people were just bad people.

"They are not Gryffindors, Pip. You can tell by the way they sneer at everyone else." Pippa could understand what her brother was saying; the girl's lip was curled up and one of the boys scowled, although the other seemed perfectly devoid of emotion. Still, she didn't want to dislike anyone, not until she was given a reason.

"I suppose." Chase nodded, and Pippa sighed quietly. Sometimes she and her brother would never agree, but she doubted he knew that most of the time. She was very likely to give him what he wanted to avoid an argument. She loved her brother.

"So you're a Weasley?" The voice was cold, slippery, and overall sent a shivery feeling down Pippa's spine. She glanced at the boy who had spoken. His dark hair seemed greasy as it fell down to his shoulders. His eyes were cold and gray, his face closed. He must have very attractive parents, Pip reasoned, because she could see already that once he shed the baby fat in his cheeks he would be a beautiful man. If that wasn't spoiled by a rotten attitude. He spoke to Chase, looking up at the tall boy.

"Somewhat." Chase responded, his eyes flicking over the boy quickly before deciding that this must be a Slytherin as well. Pippa could see it in the set of his shoulders, the look in his eyes.

"D'you not know, then?"

"I know."

"Then what are you on about? Come on, let's hear it. Who're your parents?"

"Lily Potter and Nathaniel Hollingberry. And you?"

"So you are a Weasley then."

"That isn't our name."

"Our name?" The boy looked around Chase at Pippa, her brown hair with red highlights pulled into pigtails and her wide hazel eyes innocent and a little scared. Pippa was slim and unimposing, usually ignored by the other kids when they went out to play. The boy seemed to think the same, because he turned his attention back to Chase.

"Well, I'm Ollie Flint." He offered a hand, which Chase ignored. After a moment he dropped it, a sneer on his face. "Well now, that's no way to be polite."

"Chase Hollingberry. And my sister Pippa."

"Well Chase, are you into Quidditch?"

"Yes."

"Then you better watch out for me. I'm going to be a Quidditch captain. I'll beat your grandfather at youngest Quidditch player, you watch."

Chase didn't bother to answer, and Pippa knew it was because he was getting rather angry; he didn't like to get mad, but sometimes people pushed his buttons the wrong way. Then he clammed up and stopped talking, because father had always warned Chase not to use his strength against the other kids. It wasn't fair.

"Whatever. I'll beat you on the field, Hollingberry. Hollingberry, what kind of names is that?" Ollie pushed through the kids, making his way toward the three that Chase had pegged as Slytherins. Once he arrived and spoke a few words, raucous laughter burst from them. Pippa felt her face go red as Chase's did the same. He stared at the ground and squeezed Pippa's hand once, reassurance that they were together and no one else mattered.

"He's not worth our time." Pippa whispered, and Chase squeezed her hand once more but wouldn't look at her. Pippa knew he was embarrassed. She was as well. But she wouldn't let bullies ruin her day. She'd been waiting for a long time to go to Hogwarts, ever since she'd first started noticing the little bits of magic that she couldn't control. Now she would get to use those powers for real, and learn how to do cool things with them, and she was really excited about that.

Pippa glanced back at the group of laughing kids just as the great doors opened. Pippa jumped a little before turning around, squeezing Chase's hand hard. She was really scared, too. Excited, but scared. Slowly the group crowded through the doors and down the narrow aisle to the front of the room, where the staff sat at a long table on a raised platform. In the middle of a second platform sat a stool with the weary old Sorting Hat rested on top of it. It was a battered hat, with patches and tears, but Pippa knew from her parents' stories that it had looked like this for a long time; maybe it was more beat up now than it had once been, after the battle against Voldemort, but it still worked its magic just fine. Pippa was equal parts nervous and excited to feel it sit on her head and tell her where she would spend the rest of her school career.

The group stopped just before the sorting hat, all of them waiting anxiously. Suddenly, the hat straightened, and Pippa heard it clear its throat. She smiled up at Chase before turning her attention to the hat; their parents had told them stories about this, too.

_I am getting rather old now,_

_You would think I'd have retired._

_But somehow I'm still singing songs_

_Although somewhat less inspired._

_The days are long and sometimes dull_

_As I sit and write my songs_

_But when you've all come here to school_

_The days never seem so long._

_Of Gryffindor I sing courage_

_The brav'ry of a lion_

_Of daring, chivalry, and nerve_

_All stronger than a diamond_

_For Ravenclow, the word is smart,_

_The knowledge of the eagle_

_Their witty words are something quick,_

_Their intelligence lethal._

_And Hufflepuff, dear loyal friends!_

_Work hard just as the badger!_

_Your patience does you much credit_

_Your fair play gives you stature._

_Last, Slytherin, ambitious, yes,_

_And as cunning as a snake._

_Resourceful in the hardest times_

_Leave much good work in your wake._

_But still, dear friends, please listen well,_

_Don't let Houses divide hearts,_

_For classmates are our great allies_

_When the world it's hate imparts._

The hat fell silent as his song finished, sitting still on the stool once more. Pippa couldn't help but grin up at Chase again, her excitement growing every moment.

Professor Ravensdale pulled a piece of rolled parchment from his robe and called, "Freddy Jackson." A boy with curly brown hair and dark eyes pushed through the crowds of people, apologizing to everyone he touched but not being gentle in the least. He stepped forward out of the group of first years and stopped. After a moment, Professor Ravensdale cleared his throat and gestured to the stool. Freddy jumped and scurried to take his place on the stool, to the quiet laughter of all the students in the room and a few amused smiles from the staff. He sat down hard on the stool and straightened his back as Ravensdale set the sorting hat gently on his head. It took a few seconds, but soon the sorting hat boomed "Ravenclaw!" and Professor Ravensdale pulled the sorting hat off of Freddy's head just before he ran off to join his new house, all smiles and congratulations as he sat down.

Several other students were called to the front, being placed in a variety of houses. Pippa waited anxiously, begging for her name to be the next one called. After Anya Cabrera was put into Ravenclaw, Pippa was certain it would be her next, or maybe Chase first, since he was the older one. But instead of a Hollingberry, the name called was Ryleigh Malfoy, and the girl with pale blonde hair slithered to the front of the first years. Chase made a loathing-filled face as she pushed him aside, whispering Hollingberry under her breath and laughing. His grip on Pippa's hand tightened painfully for a moment before he realized what he was doing and dropped her hand completely. Pippa rubbed her sore fingers as she glanced at him. She'd never seen him so angry before. It scared her.

Ryleigh sat on the stool like it was her throne, her back perfectly straight and her hair in place, acting as if she was the queen of Hogwarts. Ravensdale set the hat delicately on her head and stepped back. For a few moments, the hall was silent. Then Ryleigh frowned and shook her head slightly, seeming to mumble something. Pippa wanted to know what she was saying, but it was just barely too quiet for her to make out the words. Chase seemed to be a little interested, although his anger kept him from being too keen on the conversation.

Finally, the hat seemed to make a decision, because Ryleigh slumped a little on the stool. "You will do well in GRYFFINDOR."

The entire hall fell silent as Ravensdale pulled the hat off of her head and she slid to the floor. She kept her head down and didn't make eye contact with any of her friends that sat at the Slytherin table already, their jaws slack. Chase's fists were tight at his sides, anger apparent in his face. Although Pippa was rather surprised by the turn of events, she couldn't be upset; if the girl had gotten into Gryffindor, then she must be a good person. She must be. Not that Slytherin was bad people… Pippa shook her head. She didn't want to listen to the stereotypes that her parents had taught them. She wanted to make her own decisions.

Finally, Ravensdale looked down at his parchment and called Pippa's name, much to her excitement. The hall was incredibly silent still, but Pippa didn't care; it was her turn! She would get to be sorted. She skipped up to the seat and sat down, a little surprised by how soft the hat was once it rested on her head. She closed her eyes tightly and waited, kicking her feet back and forth.

A quiet voice in her ear startled her slightly, but she'd been ready for it; she'd heard about this from her grandfather, about how he picked Gryffindor when he was a first year, about how the sorting hat listens to you if you ask something of it.

"_Pippa Hollingberry, descendent of both Weasleys and Potters, with a little extra Hollingberry on the side. Good traits, and all speak of one house. But you don't want that house, do you?"_

Pippa shook her head a little, and then nodded. Now that it came down to it, what house did she want? Where did she want to be sorted?

"_You could choose Ravenclaw, if you'd like, but you'd be lonely there. In Hufflepuff you'd often find yourself bored silly, and Slytherin… well, that isn't an option you'd like, is it?_"

Pippa shook her head once more.

"_Don't let yourself be influenced by your family, child. Although Slytherin isn't quite where you'd be happy, either. Gryffindor, then?"_

Pippa nodded, a little relieved and yet a little disappointed. Gryffindor was the obvious choice for her. It just wasn't the most exciting, she didn't think.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The sorting hat's voice echoed around the hall, and scattered applause started before the Gryffindor table got over their shock of a Malfoy and began cheering enthusiastically. Pippa was sliding off the stool when she could have sworn she heard the hat say, "_Just give it a chance," _before it was pulled completely off of her head. She skipped over to the table, taking a place on the opposite side as Ryleigh had. She kicked her feet back and forth under the table as she received various congratulatory pats from her new house mates, friends. She thanked them quietly and smiled shyly as Ravensdale looked for another name. Immediately she grew silent when Chase's name rang across the hall. He walked up, almost tripping, and sat down on the stool. It hardly reached his head when it called Gryffindor, and he gave a small smile to Pippa as he sat next to her.

The rest of the first years went rather quickly; Pippa enjoyed it so much more sitting at the Gryffindor table, where they made small comments and guessed who would go where. Most of the time they were right, which was even more amusing than if they'd been wrong.

Finally, the sorting was finished. Headmaster Longbottom stood and said a few words about the year, and then the students began their meal. Chase and Pippa spoke quietly to each other as they ate, too overwhelmed to talk to the other students around them. Ryleigh sat across from Pippa, picking at the meal and staring across the hall at the Slytherin table. Occasionally she would make faces, and Pippa could only assume that she was trying to speak to her friends. Chase just ignored her, looking around the table at the other Gryffindors that they would soon be forced to meet. For Chase, that wouldn't be a problem. He was good at making friends, and Pippa then made friends by default; they could only be Chase's friend if they were also friends with Pippa. But she never enjoyed it, and wished her brother was as content to keep to themselves as she was.

"So, Chase, I hear you're a Potter grandkid?"

Pippa and Chase both looked toward the older students, meeting eyes with a boy who had dirty blonde hair, a toothy grin, and a pleasant face. He was a few years older than they were, Pippa assumed, but his brown eyes still seemed childish and over excited.

"Yeah, Pippa and I. Lily's our mum."

"Aw, that's awesome. Grandda's always telling me stories of him when he was younger. Apparently he really looked up to Harry, although it's no wonder why, is it?"

"And… who are you?"

"Ellis Longbottom." He offered a hand to them, which Chase took immediately and shook, smiling. "So Headmaster Longbottom…"

"Neville Longbottom, my grandda. Really awesome guy, but you should hear the way he talks about Harry."

Ellis offered Pippa his hand, and she took it and smiled hesitantly. He seemed so nice, and certainly friendly.

"But hey, you should meet some of the other Gryffindors too. This is…" Ellis slowly began introducing them to everyone around them at the table, everyone that could possibly hear. There was Laila, Bradley, Sienna, Elsie, Mason, Levi, Zach, Willow… Pippa couldn't keep track of all the names, but she smiled at everyone and was relieved when they told her not to worry about remembering everyone. Chase immediately started conversation, showing the charismatic side that Pippa admired but didn't have. Everyone was polite enough to the girl, but she was glad when it was time for them to go to the dormitories to get some sleep. Pippa grabbed Chase's hand as they were warned of moving staircases and ghosts that enjoyed pranks, afraid of getting lost. Chase squeezed her hand reassuringly and they followed the line of new Gryffindors.

Pippa felt as if she already knew every corner of Gryffindor tower; from the chairs to the fireplace, the windows and tapestries, Pippa had heard every inch described lovingly by her parents and grandparents. Everything felt warm and cozy, a happy place to end a long day of classes and to spend hours in, just hanging out with friends on weekends. Although she'd had her doubts about Gryffindor, Pippa had never doubted the comfort of this room.

"Why, hello new kids." Pippa stifled a shriek as a ghost rose in front of her, but she grabbed Chase's arm and took several deep breaths. Although they'd been raised in the wizarding world, Pippa had never actually seen a ghost before. It was a new experience, and admittedly a little terrifying.

"Hey Fred." Ellis said, smiling at the ghost and making as if to give him a high five, but instead his hand passed right through.

"Longbottom. Taking care of the new ones?"

"Of course. They need someone to do it, and I figure headmaster's grandson gets the responsibility."

The ghost just nodded, acting serious. It looked a little strange after the huge smile he'd had moments before, which seemed natural on his face. He was slim and tall, with messy hair and mischievous eyes. Pippa could have sworn his hair was red, but with ghosts it was always so hard to tell.

"So who are these, then?"

"Pippa and Chase Hollingberry."

"Why does that name sound familiar?"

Because Harry and Ginny are their grandparents."

"Ah! Yes, of course! She would kill me if she thought I'd forgotten her son-in-law, but I think that'd be a little redundant, don't you?" He just grinned and stared at Pippa and Chase, taking in every detail. Pippa shifted uncomfortably, but didn't say anything.

"You're Fred Weasley?" Chase asked, a look of delight slowly spreading across his face. "Grandmum told us about you."

"I should certainly hope so." Fred grinned. "Tell her she should come visit me, next time you see her." There was a sudden look of sadness in his eyes as he said that. He tried to smile as he said, with forced lightness, "She's getting on in years, and I'd like to see her before…" He trailed off and shook his head. "Anyway, welcome to Gryffindor kids, I'm off to scare some of the other newbies." He smiled and turned, floating through one of the other Gryffindor first years and laughing as they jumped. Pippa looked at Chase, who was still smiling, and then back at Fred just before he disappeared into the fireplace.

"He's a good guy. Shame he's a ghost, really." Ellis said, shaking his head and smiling. "Anyhow, that way leads to the dormitories, don't go mixing with opposite genders. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I am, at this moment, going to go to bed, since I was up at ungodly hours to talk to Grandda. Good night, friends, and I'll see you in the morning." Ellis waved as he turned, to a chorus of goodnights from both Pippa and Chase as well as the rest of the dormitory. Then conversation went back to normal, a quiet buzz mixed with the crackle of the fire that was quite comforting.

"I figured I'd go to bed as well. I'm a little worn out." Chase said quietly. Pippa could see the weariness in his shoulders and face, but she was still too excited to go to sleep.

"Alright. Good night."

"I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep well, yeah?"

"Yeah."

Chase turned and trudged toward the dormitories. Pippa stood where she was for a moment longer, looking around at the other people in the common room. There were older girls that she didn't know gossiping by the window, a group of guys sitting around the fire, and Ryleigh. She looked really lonely, sitting in one of the arm chairs by the wall and staring at everything around her. She looked traumatized; Pippa really didn't know how else to describe it. Like being sorted into Gryffindor was the worst thing that had ever happened to her.

Chase would have told her to stay away from the Slytherin girl, if he had still been in the common room. Since he wasn't, though, and Ryleigh wasn't a Slytherin girl, Pippa walked over and sat in the chair next to her.

"My name's Pippa Hollingberry." She said quietly, staring at her hands. "What's your name?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I thought… well, maybe we could be friends?"

Ryleigh took the time to glance up at Pippa, attempting to decide if she was being sincere or just trying to look good, maybe even pulling a prank. When she saw nothing but openness and honesty, she couldn't accept it.

"Why would I want to be friends with you?" She sneered.

"Because all of your friends are in Slytherin, so I thought… well, when you can't be around them, maybe we could hang out. You don't have to hang out with me when you want to be with them, that's alright, but I mean, since neither of us knows anyone else in here right now… well, we can be friends, right?"

Ryleigh looked at Pippa again, longer, and shook her head. "Why are you being nice to me? I shouldn't even be here, the hat was wrong."

"But maybe it wasn't."

"But it was."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm a Malfoy. Malfoy's belong in Slytherin. Grandda's going to be so upset that I'm in Gryffindor…"

"What about your Da?"

"He's a little more forgiving, but he also married a Hufflepuff, so he would be, wouldn't he? I'm going to talk to the headmaster tomorrow, get this all sorted out. I'll be in Slytherin by the end of the week."

"Well… I don't have to be your friend when you're in Slytherin, that's alright."

"Good. Gryffindors and Slytherins aren't friends. It's the rule."

"But right now you're a Gryffindor, so…"

"Fine, we can be friends. But only until I go to Slytherin."

"Good." Pippa smiled, and Ryleigh gave her a small grin in return.


	2. Four Years Later

"When are you switching to Slytherin, then?"

"Oh, shut up." Ryleigh stuck her tongue out at Pippa.

"I mean, they'll be sorting tonight, so you could just sneak in with the first years and get resorted. I'm sure it'll work this time. Besides, I want your Gryffindor jacket."

"Then buy one."

"Too expensive."

"Well, you're not getting mine."

"If you're Slytherin, you don't need it."

"I'll keep it out of spite. Or burn it. We could burn it and chant 'Death to Gryffindors!'"

Ryleigh and Pippa just laughed as they continued packing. They'd spent the end of their summer with Chase and Ellis at the Malfoy Estate, at Ryleigh's request. Most of the time they'd gone swimming, but there had been a few games of two on two Quidditch and the avoid-Grandfather-Malfoy game. Ryleigh had conveniently forgotten to tell him that she was inviting some of her Gryffindor friends over for a few weeks, but since he hardly ever left his rooms it hadn't been too difficult. Only once had he come close to catching them all, and Pippa and Ellis had been forced to hide in the closet until he had left. Then Chase had made an unfortunate entrance and asked where he could find the peanut butter… well, if you asked Draco, Chase was a proud Slytherin. It was extremely fortunate that Mr. Malfoy didn't keep up with Hogwarts events, or he would have known that Chase was not, in fact, captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, but the Gryffindor team.

"I'm excited to go back, but… fifth year. Wow. Only two left."

"Or one, in some of our cases." Ellis was dragging his trunk into the hallway outside of Ryleigh's room, in preparation of their departure. "And those few of us have no idea what to do in the not so distant future."

"You could be an herbologist." Ryleigh dodged the heavy textbook that Ellis threw at her head, the scowl on his face serious.

"I'm not going to be my grandda, alright? Plants… bleh. Not even remotely interesting."

"I know what I'm going to be." Pippa smiled as Ryleigh rolled her eyes. Ellis sat down on his trunk, putting his head in his hands and leaning forward.

"What is it this week?" He asked, feigned awe in his voice.

"An auror."

"I think you need to be at least a little intelligent to do that." Ryleigh muttered.

"I know, it's too bad you can't do it with me." Pippa ducked as Ryleigh threw Ellis' book at her.

"Hey now, I do need that for school." Ellis complained, walking into the room. Pippa took one look at him, laughed, and grabbed the book from the floor. Ellis frowned, but he couldn't stop the curl of his lips as he smiled and stalked toward her.

"Pippa, you better let me have that-" Pippa jumped back onto Ryleigh's bed, holding the book above her head. Ellis accepted her challenge, wrapped his arms around her legs, and picked her up. He carried her away from the bed, dropped her to her feet, and extracted the book from her fingers, slowly and carefully. Ryleigh rolled her eyes as she straightened the blankets on her bed and began tapping her foot impatiently.

"Where's Chase?"

"Chase, are you coming? We'll miss the train if you don't stop being such a girl!" Pippa yelled at her twin brother, still grinning at Ellis.

"It's not like the Malfoy's couldn't get us there." Chase's voice floated to them from across the hall, where Ellis and Chase had spent nights.

"You better hurry-" Chase's head appeared around the door, an expression on his face between a grin and an exasperated frown.

"I'm done. Let's go, yeah? Wouldn't want to miss the train."

"No, we wouldn't." Elis opened his trunk to throw his book inside before closing and locking the big brown box. "But I was actually thinking that we need to stop at Diagon Alley.

"Ellis." Pippa groaned.

"We need to catch the train, Ellis, we don't have time." Ryleigh complained.

Chase glanced at Ellis, catching his eye, before adding, "I mean, I could use a few things too."

"Chase, not you too! Men!" Ryleigh wailed dramatically.

"Men!" Pippa agreed, saying the word like a curse.

"Come on, we can take my car to school. I just need to pick up some things." Ellis grabbed Pippa's trunk before she could protest, and his own as well, wheeling them down the hall as quickly as he could. Pippa immediately set about to chasing him, yelling at him even as she laughed. Chase just shrugged and grabbed his own trunk, beginning to follow.

"Chase." Ryleigh said as soon as Pippa's squeals quieted. Chase paused and turned toward her.

"Yeah?"

"Why are we really skipping the train?"

"Because Ellis is an idiot, I suppose."

Ryleigh glared at Chase, who just crossed his arms. After a moment of silence, Ryleigh gave up. "What is Ellis playing at?"

"He's playing at the, 'I need to pick up some stuff' game."

"Is he… does he… He's planning something, isn't he?"

"Yeah… he's gonna buy some stuff. Come on Ryleigh, we've gotta go before they leave us."

"You're _supposed _to protect her, Chase."

"She can protect herself, not that there's any reason to. Besides, we're talking about Ellis, yeah? What's he going to do to her?"

"She's… She's emotionally unstable!"

"Why would she be emotionally unstable?"

"Because… she is. I did it. I damaged her emotionally."

"Yeah, whatever Ryleigh."

"Chase… don't you think it's a bit odd? I mean, they can't… that'd be weird."

"What, d'you have a thing for him?"

"Me? No! Ugh, gross." The puking motions that Ryleigh made were over exaggerated and more disgusting for it, although Chase just rolled his eyes. "Ellis is like my brother! Like, he's my brother and you and Pip are siblings and we're sibling friends. That would just be… blech."

"What is it then?"

"It's just weird. Like, how are we all supposed to be friends if Ellis and Pippa are… you know, _dating?_"

"I think this is up to Pip, yeah? Just let her make a decision on her own."

"But Chase-"

"Ryleigh, just leave it, alright?" Chase hauled his trunk down the hall and the only thing Ryleigh could do was follow with her trunk – green and silver with an M on the top and side, painted in fancy script and gold. It had been a present from her grandfather when she had received her letter, and she didn't care enough to change it.

It was fortunate that Ellis' black four door had a charmed trunk, because they wouldn't have fit everything in. As it was, they could hardly fit the four trunks, as well as an aquarium for Ellis' toad, supposedly handed down through generations but actually a toad similar to a number of other toads that had replaced the first one. Ellis would still tell the story of headmaster Longbottom's toad to the first years, but everyone else knew the truth about it.

Pippa smiled as Ellis told his plans of buying a new toad in Diagon Alley, because the previous Trevor had been run over by a car in an escape attempt, but it was clear on her face that she was upset. She'd just lost her own pet, an old snowy owl that had been a gift from her grandfather for her 7th birthday, just before they'd been let out on holiday. She hadn't gotten the money to buy a new one, because they were expensive and her parents hadn't been able to afford it. Harry and Ginny were off on vacation and hadn't been around to hear the sad news, so she was going to school without a pet for the first time.

"Pip, d'you wanna sit up front with me?"

Pippa frowned. "I thought you'd be sitting with Chase, since you two are buds and all."

"Well, I just thought… you know, that you'd like to, once. Would you?"

"Yeah, of course." Pippa's smile came back, smaller but happier. Ellis patted her shoulder once before moving around to the driver's side. "Are you lot coming too? I thought you were worried about being late?"

Ryleigh rolled her eyes and walked to the passenger side, sliding into the backseat and clicking her safety belt into place. Chase waited until Pippa clicked herself into the front seat before nodding at Ellis.

"Am I doing alright?" Ellis whispered.

"Yeah, I suppose so. She seems fine, anyhow."

"Yeah. Alright, good."

Chase patted Ellis on the shoulder before ducking into the car. Ellis took a deep breath before doing the same.

The car ride consisted of loud jokes and louder music, with laughter saturating the conversation. Chase and Ryleigh fought, mostly, and while Ellis could understand the undertone to their fighting, Pippa remained totally oblivious.

Ellis parked outside of The Leaky Cauldron and they ran through, laughing at the looks the barkeep gave them. The brick wall opened for them after a few smooth moves from Chase, and they were running toward Eeylops Owl Emporium. Chase and Ryleigh raced for the door, Ryleigh arriving first because Chase tripped over his own feet. While he was a master on a broomstick, he couldn't manage his own feet very well. Ryleigh yelled insults until he caught up to her, and they entered the shop ahead of Pippa and Ellis.

"I've always liked it here." Ellis said as they made their way over, much more slowly than Ryleigh and Chase had.

"Yeah. Feels nice here, with all the animals." Pippa smiled as she saw one of the owls flutter its wings and turn toward them. Probably he only wanted the sunlight that was coming through the window, but Pippa always pretended that she had a certain magnetism.

Ellis held the door open for her and she thanked him as she stepped into the shop, full of the scent of animals. She took a deep breath and her smile widened. This smell was comforting, nice. She was a whiz at Care of Magical Creatures, and she spent most of her time helping Professor Chaisty with the animals. Chaisty was a young professor, new to Hogwarts and especially cute, for an American. There were rumors that she went to be around him, but truth be told she hardly spoke with him; she spent her time murmuring to the animals, rubbing them down or feeding them, on occasion training them.

"Would you help me pick one?" Ellis asked as he followed her inside, the bell above the door tinkling softly. Pippa nodded and let him lead her by the hand to the aquariums filled with toads. Ryleigh and Chase had mysteriously disappeared; probably causing some kind of mischief or arguing about the merits of an owl versus a cat. Ellis stared intently at the different toads in front of him. After much deliberation between the two, Ellis decided that the one he had initially picked was indeed the one that most matched Trevor's appearance. He went off to find the person working to pay for his new pet, and Pippa wandered over to where the other animals were kept.

There was a snowy owl that looked remarkably like Olivia, the owl that Pippa had loved for years. It even had some of the same markings, although the eyes were wrong. Somehow, Olivia had always seemed much more intelligent than other owls, and much friendlier. This one seemed to dislike her entirely. Then there were a few barn owls that were attempting to get at each other; obviously they weren't exactly friends, by the racket they were making. Pippa slowly made her way through the owls, making little comments about their feathers or their attitudes, until she reached the end of the cages and came to the cats. There was a tabby that purred as she rubbed against the bars of her cage, and when Pip stuck her fingers between the bars to pet the animal she purred all the louder. A pure white cat sat in the far corner of her cage and hissed, but she was beautiful in an elegant way, even with a clawed paw ready to swipe at her. She wanted to take them all home with her, but she didn't have the extra money for it. With a sigh, she walked toward the front counter, where Ellis was paying for the toad that now sat in a small, travel size container. He smiled at her as he got his change from the girl behind the counter, stuffing it in his pocket as he took the new Trevor off of the counter.

"Have a good year, kiddos." The girl closed the register and disappeared into a back room, leaving them to alone.

"Trevor's good, then?"

"Yeah. Cheaper than I thought he'd be. I can't decide if that means he's going to die soon or they're just having a sale. I was afraid to ask." He smiled at her before dipping to pick up another box, and after a moment Pippa recognized it as a pet carrier.

"What's that one?"

"Oh, that's for you." He held it up for her, and after a moment of eye contact that made Ellis blush slightly she bent down to look inside.

A little ball of fur stared back at her before letting out a small, friendly _mew_.

"Aww, she – she?" Pippa glanced up to see Ellis nod. "She's adorable." Pippa looked back at the little cat. Her long fur was black and white, the black on her face making her look like a little bandit. She purred at Pippa and took a hesitant step forward, mewing again.

"Can I touch her?"

"Well, yeah… I thought you might like to have her, really."

"Ellis… you didn't just buy me a cat, did you? Because I couldn't accept, it's not-"

"She's already paid for, and I can't have a cat and a toad, so…" Ellis offered the cat carrier to her, and after a moment Pippa took it, beaming at him.

"Thanks." After a moment, she set the cat down and hugged him, squeezing him tightly. Ellis wrapped his arms around her back and smiled at the wall behind her. "What's her name?" Pip asked as she pulled away from him.

"She doesn't have one yet; she's part of a litter that's just leaving their mum. So you get to name her."

"Bandit." Pip said without a moment's hesitation. "Bandit the cat."

"Good. I like it." Pip couldn't stop the grin that she was giving Ellis, but he didn't seem to mind at all. "When we get to the car, we'll let her out for a bit, so she can properly introduce herself."

"Yeah, I think she'd like to be let free for a little bit." Pippa picked up the carrier, cradling it to her chest as she skipped out the door. Ellis followed and laughed.

"I'm glad you like her."

"I love her." Pippa pushed the door open with her hip and held it for Ellis this time.

"Oh, thanks you."

"You're welcome. It's the least I could do."

Ellis just shook his head. "Pip, you don't owe me anything, I just wanted you to have a pet to take back, and Grandda left me a little extra money for books this year…"

"But you bought me a _cat_, Ellis, I've gotta do something, because she's just perfect and adorable-"

"You've hardly met her." Ellis chuckled.

"But I already know she's perfect, because look at her." Pip raised the carrier to her face so she could look at the little girl. She purred, and if Pip didn't know better she would say Bandit smiled at her.

"Pip…" Pippa looked back at Ellis, lowering the carrier to her side as they waited outside the shop, wondering where Ryleigh and Chase had gone off to.

"Yeah?"

"Listen… d'you want to get a Butterbeer with me sometime?"

"Yeah, sure, sounds good." Pip grinned at him and sat down outside the shop, sticking her fingers through the tiny holes in the crate to pet her new best friend. Ellis sank to the ground next to her, glancing over at her.

"Like, without Ryleigh and Chase. Y'know, a date."

"A date?" Pip looked up at Ellis and frowned. "Why would we go on a date? D'you have a girlfriend?"

"Pip, I wouldn't have asked you to go if I had a girlfriend. Kind of the point of a date is to get a girlfriend, isn't it?"

"You mean, like just you and me?"

"Well, yeah, Pip. Kind of."

"Is that why you bought me a cat?"

"Well… kind of, but mostly just because you were so sad…"

Pippa looked down at Bandit once before looking back at Ellis. "Why?"

"Because… well, you're cool, and I like you."

"But I thought we were friends?"

"We were. We are. I just wondered if… Never mind, I shouldn't have said anything."

Pip stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "No, Ellis, it's not that. I just… well, I'm a little surprised, aren't I? No one's ever wanted to go on a date with me, and I always figured Chase and I were kind of the same person to you. I mean, like, I'm a girl but not really, you know?"

"You and Chase are nothing alike." Ellis gave her a very small smile, but he didn't have much hope that the conversation was going to go the way he'd planned in his head. In his head, she was so impressed with him that she just said yes without hesitation, without question, just accepted that he liked her and admit that she liked him. Granted, he'd known it was a bit of a ridiculous expectation, but he couldn't help himself. But that comment… Ellis didn't know what she was talking about. Sure, she was small, and she didn't have the same curves that most of the girls her age did, but she was cute. She generally wore her hair in a ponytail anymore, with her straight bangs across her forehead and hair falling around her face that was too short. Her eyes were big and framed by dark lashes, but the color was different depending on the day. Today they had decided on a more gold color that was rimmed with blue on the outside and brown in the middle. She had a small nose that was straight like her brothers, with lips that curved up at the corners so she was almost always smiling. She was beautiful, in her own way, and Ellis appreciated that she was different.

Pippa watched Ellis as his eyes got sad. In all honesty, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to say; no one had ever expressed any interest in her, ever. She'd always just assumed she wasn't feminine enough, or that she was too weird. Truth be told, she preferred the company of animals to people, with very few exceptions. Although Ellis was one of them, she always just thought… well, she was kind of like a little sister to him. And he'd grown into a very attractive man; a strong jaw and a cute nose that flipped up a little at the tip. His cheekbones were high and prominent, leaving a small little indent in his cheeks. He had the cutest dimples and the funniest expressions that just made everyone feel comfortable and happy. He was smart and on the Quidditch team as a beater, so he was fit too. Everything about him was open and kind, and there were girls who had expressed interest. Pip had wondered at one time if he was gay, but then he turned down one of the men that asked him out and she knew that was a lie. She would have said yes to the gay kid in a heartbeat, but Ellis turned him down quicker.

"Well… I mean, I guess, yeah."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I'll go with you."

Ellis' face lit up at her response, and immediately she felt warm inside. She was glad she could make him feel happy, but deep down she was also glad that he was excited it was _her_ that said yes, and not some other girl.

"Good. I mean, great. It's just… thanks? I'm not really sure what I should say."

"Good is good."

"I'm going to be sick." Ryleigh's voice made them both look up. She looked at the watch on her wrist once before crossing her arms. "And we're going to be late. We should have left at least ten minutes ago, but you two are too busy gushing it up to notice."

"Let up, Ry, we'll be fine." Chase walked up behind her, his hands in the pockets of his pants. He was already in his robes, with a black vest and long black pants underneath. He looked really good in it; Chase had grown up well, and he was currently the boy to be at Hogwarts. Captain of the Quidditch Team, a Chaser, tall, decent grades, nice, and all of the girls fell over themselves to speak with him. His hair was still auburn, falling to his ears and tousled. His eyes were intense and had finally decided on a blue green color with gold flecks, and the freckles were still there in force. His jaw line was hard, his eyebrows set low over his eyes, his lower lip full, and his nose strong and straight, just a bit of a crook in the bridge where he'd been hit by a Bludger their second year. He had very broad shoulders and strong arms, and a slim V of a body.

Ryleigh was wearing the skirt and sweater of a Gryffindor, her robes over her arm. She'd grown into a beautiful young lady as well. Her features were delicate, with a thin nose, narrow green eyes, thin arched eyebrows, and soft lips. She was also slender, with just enough curve to look feminine underneath the sweater and legs that were long and well-shaped. If not for her attitude, she probably would have been about as popular as Chase. However, she chased most boys off, and the few that were brave enough to approach her were insulted until they cried.

"We decided we'd better change before we were off, just to be on the safe side." Chase said in explanation of both their absence and their dress.

Ellis nodded. "We should probably do the same, Pip."

"Yeah. Help me up?" Chase offered a hand and hauled her to her feet. Then she bent to pick up her carrier, glowing as she was again reminded of the creature.

"Can I see?" Chase asked.

"Wait, what's that?" Ryleigh pushed Chase to the side to look inside at Bandit. "You bought a cat?"

"Well, Ellis did."

Ryleigh looked up at Ellis and shook her head. "Guilting her into a date, then? Classy."

"I didn't guilt her, I just thought she needed a pet to bring back to school."

"Guilt. Guilt guilt guilt guilt guilt."

"Ryleigh, shut it." Chase pushed her to the side and bent down, sticking his fingers through the small bars. "What's its name?"

"She's Bandit."

"It fits."

"Of course it fits. Now will you two please go change so we can get going?"

"Calm down, Malfoy." Chase muttered, petting Bandit once more before straightening.

"I'll calm down when I'm fed and in my bed. Until then, you'll have to deal with me." Ryleigh tossed her hair, but it still fell in her face. With a snarl she pulled it up into a ponytail, secured it, and crossed her arms again.

"C'mon, Pip. Let's go change."

* * *

The car ride was long, with Ryleigh's bad mood radiating through the entire car. Pip sat in the front again with Ellis, and together they discussed music and school and life in general. Bandit was wandering around the vehicle, sticking her nose in people's faces and mewing demandingly when no one paid attention to her. She was very much a people cat, and every time she crawled into Pip's lap she smiled a little bit wider.

Chase was reading a book in the back seat. He liked to get ahead in his school work, because he knew he'd never be able to keep up once Quidditch season started. Ryleigh was ignoring everyone and staring out the window.

Finally they reached the moat around the castle, which forced them to shift to flying instead. Ellis was a lot less comfortable with that part of the vehicle, so he had been trying to avoid it as long as possible. However, they got over the moat and pulled up to the school with no difficulty. They left the vehicle where it was and hurried into the castle, making it in just after the Sorting Hat finished its song.

"No, I've missed it." Ellis muttered sarcastically to Pip, who just giggled and followed him to their seats. A few of the Slytherins hissed as they entered, but Ryleigh sent them a glare and they quieted quickly. Even though she'd been in Gryffindor for four years, they still respected her as a Malfoy. The rest of their friends whispered hellos to them as they passed and sat down right next to where the first years would sit.

"Where've you been?" Fred demanded as he appeared next to Ellis. "George has developed the most ingenious new prank and I need you to help me implement it in the Slytherin Common Room."

"Alright, alright, we'll do it tomorrow." Ellis smiled at Fred, who immediately raised a hand and they did their customary high five. Then Fred disappeared again to go check out some of the other students.

They watched the first years get sorted and played the guessing game. This year they only got two wrong, which was much better than last year, and then they got to eating.

Ellis, Pip, and Chase all adopted first years to show around, but Ryleigh ignored them all blatantly. Once the first years had departed to go to bed, Ellis, Pip, and Chase all sat down in front of the fire and enjoyed the sudden quiet. The common room hadn't changed at all, and it was as much home to them now as anywhere.

"Reckon anything exciting will happen this year?" Pip asked quietly.

"What, like the stories mum told us about Granddad? Pip, I'm not sure that's something we actually want to live through. Besides, that was before Voldemort was defeated, and now he is. I don't think we have to worry all that much." Chase answered.

"But I mean, it would be something."

"Ellis, don't encourage her." Chase threw a pillow at Ellis, who threw it right back.

"I'm just saying! In their days there was some kind of exciting life and death adventure every year. For us, it's just go to classes and work hard and desperately to make sure all the homework gets finished. It's kind of boring."

Chase shook his head. "I get that you guys get tired of the routine, but personally, I'm perfectly alright with just playing Quidditch."

"Booriing." Pippa smiled as the pillow was thrown in her direction, but flew over the top of her chair.

"You're the only one here that would say that."

"Well…"

Ellis dodged another pillow.

"You're right, Chase, I'm just playing. I don't want to deal with death and whatever, seems like too much effort."

Pippa just shook her head, smiling but seriously wondering what it would have been like to live with her Granddad. She knew she shouldn't want that, but somewhere… well, she wanted to be someone important in history. Right now she was just the quiet girl that did well in school and hung out with animals in her spare time.

Ellis reached over and took her hand, squeezing it once like Chase was apt to do. Both of these boys could read her moods, and with a smile she forgot about her illogical hopes and enjoyed their company.

* * *

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	3. The Match

The common room was entirely too empty; Ryleigh knew it was because everyone was crowding into the Pitch, to watch the Slytherin Gryffindor Quidditch match. She'd made a habit of avoiding those games; although she loved her friends in Gryffindor, at heart she still felt like she belonged to Slytherin. Besides, her grandfather was coming to this game, because he'd paid for new broomsticks for the Slytherin team, and she avoided him whenever possible. Yes, he was family, and yes, he'd changed since Voldemort's time, or so she'd been told. Still, the way he pushed for Slytherin, the way he demanded that she make up for the house she'd been sorted into… well, it was hard enough for her to refrain from making snarky comments, and then when he was blatantly insulting her friends she was likely to bite his head off.

Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing, but her father insisted she stay on good terms with her grandfather, so she did her best.

She tapped her fingers on the arm of the plush red arm chair with gold tassels, staring at the fire. She was half tempted to go anyway; find Pippa in the crowd, pull a hat low over her face and cheer for Chase and Ellis. Were they playing well today? Chase hadn't liked the odds, because of the new broomsticks and also because their keeper, Zach Finnigan, had somehow managed to make something in his pocket explode during Arithmancy, and while it had finished healing yesterday he was still dizzy and not quite with it. It had been suggested to Chase that he make a replacement for the game, but Chase was convinced that only Zach would be able to help them against Slytherin. Ryleigh rolled her eyes. Chase was so bullheaded when it came to Quidditch.

Ryleigh stood and walked to the window. She could see the pitch from here, but she couldn't tell what was happening. Red and Green figures flew quickly around the pitch, and it was impossible to determine who was winning, who was losing, who had the Quaffle, if the seekers were on the move. With a groan she turned and paced, debating. Then, after a few minutes, she ran up to the girls' dormitory, grabbed a cloak and a pair of gloves, and ran out of the room.

The castle was literally deserted; everyone always turned up for the Slytherin Gryffindor games except for her. She usually tried to be away during the weekend of the game, wherever that may be; usually they didn't question her if she said she had family business to attend to. Only her friends knew the truth, and they just accepted it. She showed up to every other Gryffindor game.

Her footsteps were loud as she raced to the Pitch. It always felt like it took forever when she had to run the distance by herself, but the cheers of the crowd made her run just a little bit faster. She was just outside the pitch when suddenly the cheers were replaced with gasps, a few screams. Ryleigh stopped dead as all the possibilities ran through her mind. Then she ran inside, pushing past everyone to make sure that Ellis and Chase were fine.

"Go Chase!" Pippa screamed, waving her Gryffindor flag as Chase flew across the pitch, the quaffle held firmly under his arm. Once he had the Quaffle, there was hardly any stopping him. He was the best flyer on the field, everyone knew it. Pippa wasn't even biased… much. She just knew that Chase was a force to be reckoned with on a broomstick, even if he could hardly stand up on his own feet.

A gasp rang through the stadium as a Bludger zoomed toward Chase from behind, but before it could hit him Ellis came out of nowhere and batted it away. Chase didn't notice, but Ellis grinned as the crowd cheered again. He gave an overdramatic half bow on his broomstick before flying off to play some more baseball with the Bludgers.

Chase put the Quaffle through the hoop easily, making the Slytherin Keeper wonder what he'd been doing instead of his job.

Pippa yelled for both of the boys, her face practically split in a grin. Gryffindor was winning, miraculously. Every point Slytherin got past Zach Chase got past the Slytherin keeper, and he'd just managed to get a few points ahead. The Gryffindor crowd went wild, and Pippa could see Malfoy across the pitch shaking his head. That made her laugh even more. She wished Ryleigh had come, so she could see her Grandfather's disappointment in Slytherin. But that was mean. Immediately she felt bad about thinking it, because she knew it probably wouldn't end well in the Malfoy estate.

It seemed the Snitch had finally been set free; immediately Bradley Johnson was racing around the pitch, followed by Scarlett Nott. Pippa's eye was always drawn to the fast moving seekers in the game, even though he knew Chase would expect her to give him an opinion on what he did right and wrong in the game. Usually she got the play-by-play from him anyway, so she usually was fine.

She was following the Seekers when she heard a sudden gasp, and then a scream. Her eyes sought Chase and Ellis, fears immediately picking at her heart.

"Chase!" She screamed as she saw him falling.

Ellis knocked the Bludger toward a Slytherin opponent, even though he knew that Chase didn't like it. Sometimes they just needed a good knocking around. After all, the Slytherins went out of their way to throw damaging blows at the Gryffindor team. Ellis just liked to even the odds a little bit.

His eyes scanned the field, looking for the bloody black balls that made it their mission to give players bruises. He saw one making its way toward Zach, but the Quaffle was on the other side of the field so he was able to dodge it. One was chasing a Slytherin, who was freaking out a little bit until he evaded it and it flew toward Chase. Ellis pushed his broom toward the Bludger that Chase couldn't see and barely knocked it away in time, although Chase was completely oblivious to the danger he'd been in. Ellis grinned at the crowd, the ultimate people pleaser. He gave them a bow before getting his head back in the game. Chase would have a few words for him later, if he even knew something had happened. Chase was way too serious about his Quidditch.

He saw Chase put the Quaffle through the hoop, right past the keeper. Obviously he wasn't there because he was good. Ellis never gave Chase credit when something good happened; had to make sure the boy didn't get big headed. Everyone else praised him enough. Then Bradley took off flying after the tiny little Snitch. Ellis only ever saw flashes of gold and the Seekers chasing it, but apparently Bradley could actually see the nasty bugger. Or so he claimed, anyway. Ellis sometimes wondered if they were just luckier than the average player.

The Beater steered his broom up, out of the clutter of the field and into the sky, where he could see everything more clearly. He looked down just as a flash of green exploded on the field, and immediately screams erupted. Ellis watched as both Chase and another player began falling toward the field, their brooms flying away and crashing into the stands. Ellis didn't even think; he shot toward the ground, but he didn't make it in time. He watched Chase hit the pitch, rolling a few feet before coming to a stop next to the Slytherin who had fallen with him.

Ellis was hardly on the ground before he was running. He fell to his knees by Chase and checked his pulse. He was alive.

"Chase? Chase!" Ellis glanced over Chase's body, trying to determine what was wrong, but about the only thing medical he knew was how to check for a pulse. If he'd an aptitude for herbology, maybe he would have learned a few things, but since he didn't… since none of that interested him, he hadn't ever bothered…

"Chase. Chase, wake up. _Chase_." Ellis looked up for help, watching the professors and other adults running onto the scene. It wasn't long before the medical staff was pushing him out of the way, doing their best to help Chase and figure out what was wrong. When Ellis glanced at the other boy who had fallen, he didn't see the same action, and it took him a moment to understand why. A group of Slytherins, including those members of the team that had gotten there, were sobbing, wailing, around the body. Ellis was horrified, falling to his knees with the shock. Suddenly people were checking with him, asking him if he was alright, but he couldn't come up with any responses. Even though he'd heard the stories, read the text books and seen the pictures, he hadn't actually seen death. His family was all healthy, his friends were safe… they had been.

He felt arms around his shoulders and looked to see Pippa, tears already streaming down her face. Immediately Ellis wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. It wasn't that he wanted to comfort her so much as he needed to have someone there, needed someone to hold onto. It wasn't long before his shirt was drenched, but he didn't realize that some of those tears were his own.

Ryleigh ran into the Pitch in time to see Chase hit the grass. Hard.

He was on the opposite end of the stadium, and by the time she got in the field was already filling with both spectators and professors, team mates and friends. Try as she might, it was impossible to the redhead.

"What happened?" She demanded of one of the people next to her, still wearing gear made to look like snakes in support of the Slytherin team.

"I dunno, there was a flash of green light, and then they were falling-"

"Did Chase get hit?"

"I couldn't tell, it happened so fast. Oh god, what's happening?"

Ryleigh cut off the rest of the babble by leaving. She didn't want to hear fear, she didn't want panic. She needed the facts, and she needed them now. She pushed her way past people, but by then the crowd was so dense that it was impossible to make it very far. Finally, she found a way through, but then was pushed out of the way as two men with a stretcher between them came through. On it lay a boy in the Slytherin robes… Cole Zabini, a boy she'd met a few times when her father had forced her into play dates. He was completely still, his arm and both legs twisted at odd angles. Ryleigh felt as if she was going to be sick, but she forced it away until she could make sure Chase was alright. Cole she hadn't been close to, but Chase was one of her best friends. He mattered at the moment.

She was about to push her way through when a second pair of men pushed through the crowd. Immediately Ryleigh switched directions as they moved past her. Chase. He was pale, but his forehead was creased in a frown; even though she hated the pain he was clearly in, it was a good sign. She couldn't stand to look at the bone sticking out of his leg, or the massive bruise forming on his face, but at least he was alive. She couldn't even say he was well, but he was much better off than Cole had been.

After determining that, Ryleigh took a few steps away from the crowd, slowly lowered herself to the ground, and heaved up everything that she had eaten that day.

"You have to let me see him, he's my brother, I-" Pip didn't even make it through her sentence before her words were replaced by sobbing. Ellis just pulled her closer and looked at the man blocking them from the hospital wing.

"Please, just an update, that's all we're asking-"

"I need to see him, Ellis, I need…" Ellis pulled Pippa's face back against his chest and held her.

"Please. She needs something." Ellis didn't say anything about himself; that seemed a little selfish at the moment, with Pippa clinging to him as if her life depended on it.

"They're busy, and they would like to stay that way instead of stopping to answer questions. Someone will come find you when you're able to see him, but for now…" The man shook his head. Ellis recognized him as a professor, but not one that he had ever had before.

"Anything would help."

"Just let them see Chase, dammit." Ryleigh stormed toward them, leaving a dripping trail behind her. Obviously it had started raining outside; she was drenched from head to foot, with her hair going all different directions.

"I can't let you at the moment, he's not stable-"

"I'll make you not stable." Ryleigh threatened, stopping just a hairsbreadth away from him, but he didn't budge.

"It's my job to make sure no one in there is bothered by anyone out here. And I'm going to stick to that, threats or no."

Ryleigh stood still for a moment before she slumped and backed away. "I suppose if Chase needs it…" Ryleigh sighed and looked at Pippa. "How ya doin, Pip?"

Pippa tried to answer, but she just started sobbing again. While Ryleigh hated people who sobbed, she couldn't hold it against the girl at the moment. Before she could change her mind, she drew her wand, pointed it at the man blocking the door, and muttered Stupefy. He immediately fell to the floor, leaving the entrance wide open and ready to be invaded.

She threw the doors open and strolled inside, attempting to hide the fear that was boiling in the pit of her stomach. She didn't even stop to see if Ellis and Pippa were following; she figured if they weren't, she would spare Pip the grief of seeing her brother in pain.

"You aren't allowed to be in here." Ryleigh had expected that to be the first response she got from breaking in. She ignored it and strode toward where the most activity was happening. It was Chase's bed, there was absolutely no question in her mind. The first person to turn away was staring into Ryleigh's face.

"Tell me how he's doing." She demanded.

"He's… Well, he's hurt badly, but he should make a full recovery."

"When can he have visitors?"

"Not until tomorrow, at least. What are you doing in here, I thought…" The woman's eyes drifted towards the doors, and the body lying on the ground in front of them. "Oh."

"We'll be back in a few hours, to see him." Ryleigh muttered before turning on her heel and walking back toward Pippa and Ellis. They stood in the doorway, Ellis a little shocked and Pippa still pressed against his chest. Ryleigh was glad then, that they'd started dating. While they had yet to go on an actual 'date,' he was already playing the part of the good boyfriend. And right now Pippa needed that kind of relationship.

"Ry, you can't just-"

"I did just. Come on, let's take her back to the common room and get her something hot to drink. She needs it."

Ellis glanced down at Pip, who was shaking, and nodded. He wrapped his arm around her, and Ryleigh came up on the other side and did the same. Together, they hauled her up the North tower and through the hidden entrance. Ellis sat her in front of the fire while Ryleigh found the water kettle and set it up above the fire to boil. Then she came back and sat on the floor next to Pippa's chair. Ellis did the same, rubbing slow circles on her leg.

"D'you know what happened?" Ryleigh asked as they waited for the water. Her voice was quiet, barely a whisper, as if Pippa wouldn't be able to hear the conversation. The others in the common room weren't a problem; they were all lost in their own thoughts, or being careful to give the three some privacy.

"No… there was a green flash, and then Chase was just falling… I tried to catch him, but I've never been a very fast flyer, and I couldn't… Chase would have been able to. If I had been the one falling, he would have saved me…"

"Don't blame yourself." Ryleigh said firmly, a little afraid of the look in his eyes. It was lost, painfully sad. It was something she'd never seen in him before, not even in a glance or on a particularly bad day.

"Don't." Pippa said quietly. She took Ellis' hand and squeezed it, but her gaze remained fixed to the fire.

"Alright," Ellis nodded and leaned his head back against the chair, closing his eyes.

They sat that way for a while. Pippa fell asleep in the chair; she had always been exhausted by a lot of emotion, so no one was really surprised. Ellis couldn't find sleep because of worry, and he still blamed himself for what had happened. Ryleigh was too busy wondering if they were safe, if anywhere was safe, or if they were all targets for whoever had hurt Chase. She knew that green light wasn't common from spells, and there was only one… well, no one had seen that spell used in a long time, not since Voldemort's downfall, but she knew it could only be The Killing Curse that had made Cole fall from the sky.

Finally, a worn out Headmaster Longbottom pushed through the entrance to the common room. Immediately Ryleigh was on her feet, wand out and ready to fire a jinx of some kind. When she saw that it was their headmaster, she lowered it, but she didn't feel any shame for having pointed it at him in the first place. After all, it was up to him to make sure they were safe, and one boy had died and their friend was in the hospital wing.

"It's strange how often I've had a wand turned on me by Gryffindors in their own common room." He said quietly. There was more gray in his hair than there had been their first year, more lines in his face, but he still was kind and smart, occasionally even funny.

"Grandda, how's he doing?" Ellis didn't stand up, just turned his head so he could see Neville out of the corner of his eye.

"He's been through a lot, but he'll be fine. He's been given medicine and Madame Spinnet has done everything she can to make him comfortable."

"But he'll be fine?" Pip's voice was small as it rose from the chair. Ellis stood as she pulled herself out of the chair, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Yes. He'll make a full recovery, it'll just be a few weeks before he's allowed back in classes. Ellis, I trust you'll keep him up to date on his school work?"

For just a second, Ellis wondered why he didn't ask Pippa to help him out. Then he realized that Pippa would be spending most of that time with her twin, because she wouldn't be able to function properly in classes with him in hospital anyhow. He squeezed her against him as he nodded. "Yes, Grandda."

"Good. You may go see him now, but I suspect he'll be sleeping for a while. Be careful not to jostle him. Your professors are all aware of the gravity of the situation, and there will be no classes for the next few days to let students cope and attend the funeral. Feel free to spend as much of that time as necessary with Chase. I'll make sure you're taken care of." He gave them a small smile before turning and leaving. Pippa nearly fell as he left.

"Pip, are you alright?" Ellis asked as he held her upright.

"Can we go now? Please?" She asked quietly, her eyes focused on the door. Ellis and Ryleigh didn't speak as they both moved toward the door. They were entirely silent as they made their way to the hospital wing, only pausing once they reached the doors. Pip was shaking; Ellis scooped her up and carried her into the wing, only pausing to see if Ryleigh would make a comment. She didn't think it was the time for snark about their relationship.

Ryleigh pushed the door open and let Ellis and Pippa go through first. Chase was the only one in the hospital wing, which was both fortunate and depressing. The curtains around his bed were closed to give him some privacy, but Ryleigh just threw them open again anyway. She pulled up a chair for Pip, and Ellis set her down. But instead of sitting in the chair, she sat on the edge of the bed and started pushing his hair out of his face, her fingers gentle. Ryleigh silenced Ellis' protests with a look. She wasn't doing any harm to him. Let her be.

Ellis stared at Chase, at the massive purple bruise that covered half of his face. At least he looked peaceful, sleeping soundly with a quiet snore. He was covered to the neck with blankets, which seemed a little excessive to Ellis. But what did he know? Maybe it was part of the process, or… He sighed and sat down in the chair that Ryleigh had pulled over, running a hand through his hair.

They sat in the hospital wing all night, waiting for Chase to say something, to open his eyes and tell them he was okay. Pippa fell asleep lying next to Chase, enough space between them to avoid any jostling or added pain to the boy. Ellis made it a little longer than Pip, but he was worn out from both the match and from blaming himself, and not an hour after Pip's eyes closed Ellis was sleeping in the chair. Ryleigh leaned against the wall, watching over them. She wasn't paranoid, necessarily; she was just wary of what had happened, and she was worried about them all. Chase for his injury, Pip for her fear, and Ellis for his guilt.

So when Chase muttered, "What happened?" Ryleigh was the first to hear it.

**Thanks for reading! Rate and review? What d'you think?**


	4. Protection

It took Pippa only a second to recognize Chase had spoken, but it didn't quite wake her up.

"Chase? Chase." She muttered, her eyes squeezing shut as she stirred in her sleep.

"Yeah Pip." Chase's voice was quiet, pained, but alive. Pippa's eyes flew open and she sat up, looking at her brother.

"Chase." She moved to hug him, but stopped herself as she saw him cringe. She slowly lowered her arms to her lap and sat still, attempting to keep the excitement from Chase's words reigned in so she didn't hurt him more.

"How're you feeling?" Ellis rubbed his eyes and sat up, leaning forward.

"Like crap." Chase gave them a small smile, stretching the bruise on his face and making him frown. "But alive, so there's that. How's…"

"He didn't make it." Ellis said quietly.

"What happened? One minute I was flying, the next…" He gestured to the bed and the room around him.

"No one's really sure yet. Grandda is getting an investigation of some kind started, the Ministry's been informed… apparently it's a big deal."

"Usually they consider Unforgiveable Curses a big deal, though." Ryleigh rolled her eyes. Ellis frowned at her.

"Why would you say that?"

"You… You're kidding, right? What else could it have been? A green flash, and suddenly we have a dead student on our hands. I'm not really sure what else you think it could have been."

"Just an accident?" Pip asked, but none of them believed it. The only reason Pip had suggested it was because that's what she wanted. She had hoped for adventure, yes, but now that someone was dead… she was beginning to regret the wish.

"Don't worry Pip." Chase said quietly. "I'm sure it was."

Ryleigh, Ellis, and Pippa stayed in the Hospital wing the entire day; it had been arranged that meals be brought to them, and Ellis left only once to grab a few things for Chase and Pip. It was just assumed that Pip was going to stay there for at least a few days, so Ellis asked one of the girls he met in the common room to grab her things while he went for Chase's things. It wasn't a problem; everyone was worried about Chase, and by extension Pip. Even if most of the time she wasn't noticed, they all recognized her as Chase's sister and was therefore in need of their thoughts.

Ellis was on his way back to the hospital wing when he heard voices coming down the hallway. Since he really wasn't in the mood to answer questions, he kept his head down and hoped they wouldn't recognize him, or at least not pay attention to him.

"Is Cole gonna be alright?"

"I dunno… they're not letting anyone in to see him. I s'pose we'll just have to wait."

"Well, do they know what happened yet?"

"They're not saying anything on that front, either."

"What's going on? Why isn't anyone telling us anything? Why can't they just-"

Ellis saw them turn the corner and catch sight of him. He groaned. They were Slytherins, of course, and they had no idea what had happened… Ellis would have to demand answers from his grandfather later, but at the moment he was a little more worried about what they were about to do. Unhappy Slytherins was not something he wanted to deal with, and usually Ryleigh was the one that told them off. They listened to her, because she was a Malfoy, and her Grandda would talk to their parents if they were too annoying. For some reason, though, they never took the headmaster' grandson seriously.

"Longbottom, I hear you've been in to see Chase." Ellis looked up and sighed. They were from the Quidditch team, of course. Ollie Flint and Kane Davis. Both Ryleigh's old friends, although Ellis was fairly certain they'd had a bit of a falling out. He'd heard about summers with them, but recently it didn't seem as if she enjoyed them all that much.

"Yeah, and?"

"How's Cole, then?"

Ellis stared at them for a moment before shrugging. "I haven't been to see him." Ellis hated the fact that they didn't know, but he didn't want to say anything. He was sure there was a reasonable explanation for it, there had to be.

"You've been in the same room as him, how could you not know?" Kane's blue eyes were hard, suspicious and unforgiving. His black hair had grown out some since their first year, sitting at his shoulders now with a bit of curl. He was still one of the palest people Ellis had ever seen, and his body seemed to have neither fat nor muscle. From what he heard from Ryleigh, Pip, and Chase, he was a smart boy, but he knew it. That lent to a very unpleasant experience whenever he was around.

"Because they haven't let me, now if you please…" Ellis intended to push past them, but Ollie pushed him back. "Listen, I have to get back, if I hear anything new…"

"How about you tell us now?"

"If I had information to share, I would. I don't want to have a fight here, there's no reason for it. Just let me go and we'll call it even, alright?"

Ollie shook his head. "You've got to have something, yeah? Anything." Ellis saw the faint desperation deep in his eyes, the hope of some news. And as much as Ellis wanted to help them… he needed to talk to his grandfather first.

"I'm sorry, I don't."

Ollie looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Just see that you tell us when you do, yeah?"

Ellis nodded and Ollie started forward, grabbing Kane's arm and forcing the other boy to follow. Ellis watched them go before hurrying to the hospital, his mind occupied by the encounter.

"Welcome back." Chase greeted him as he pushed the doors open.

"What took so long?" Ryleigh demanded.

"'Thanks for grabbing stuff, Ellis, that was nice of you. Wow, you're awesome. How do you manage to be so cool, it's just so ridiculously surprising!' Would it kill you to be thankful I've done something?" Ellis shook his head and set the pile of stuff on a chair. "I've brought clothes for you, Pip, as well as a blanket. There are a few books, some cards…" Ellis gestured to the pile of things. "I've got to go find my Grandda… I'll see you in a bit, yeah?"

"What's up?" Pippa asked. She still sat on the bed with Chase, who had graduated to sitting up in bed, it seemed.

"I just… I'll tell you when I get back." Ellis waved once before turning to leave again, frowning.

He didn't have to pay attention as he made his way to the Headmaster's office; he'd been there often enough, both to visit his Grandda and because he and Fred were often the ones that pulled pranks. Fred would demand Ellis' help because he couldn't get the stuff into the castle, and Ellis helped because Fred had been his first friend at Hogwarts. When he'd been a kid, and there hadn't been anyone else around… Fred had been there.

He muttered the password and walked up the stairs, not even knocking before he pushed the door open. Neville sat behind the desk, his face in his hands.

"So, what's up with Cole then? Is he going to be alright?"

"Ellis, you know perfectly well that he's not."

"Then why do the students think so?"

Neville sighed and looked up at his grandson. His eyes were weary and sad. "Because that's what the Ministry wanted."

"But he was dead on the field, everyone knew it-"

"The Ministry has taken action to convince everyone that… that he was just knocked out, that he was hurt badly but not yet dead."

Ellis just stared at his grandfather for a moment before shaking his head. "What do you think you're doing? You can't allow this, you have to let them mourn! I was just confronted by a couple of Slytherins demanding to know how Cole was doing, since I've been in to see Chase. What am I supposed to tell them? How am I supposed to lie to them all the time when I know perfectly well that we should be attending a funeral?"

"My hands are tied, Ellis. Believe me, I have my own idea of how we should be approaching this, but that power's been taken away from me, 'for the good of the wizarding world.'"

Ellis felt the tears on his face and immediately reached a sleeve up to wipe them away, embarrassed that he was crying. Neville sighed again and stood, coming around the desk to wrap his arms around his grandson.

"I know how you feel, Ellis. You're outraged that we're doing this to him, you want him to be honored in the way he should be. I understand, and I agree. But the Ministry thinks it's best to keep this quiet until they know what's happening. V-" Neville closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Voldemort… it wasn't that long ago that he was finished, and the world isn't quite ready for another like him yet."

"Because you were there when Voldemort was, and Harry had a lot of strain put on him but he was brave and courageous anyway. We should all be like Harry Potter, because he's just so great, right?"

"Ellis-"

"All you ever talk about is how great Harry was, but why is it that when you need to be great, you just lay back and accept what's happening? Why can't you fight for your students? Sometimes I wonder why you always make yourself out to be a coward and pathetic in the stories, when I hear other people say that you were just as great. But you know what? I know now. I know that you were only doing what you were told, right? There isn't a brave bone in your body, is there? All you know how to do is follow orders."

"Ellis…" If it was possible, the sadness in Neville's eyes grew, but Ellis was already storming out of the office. He paused at the door, turning to look at his grandfather.

"Come find me when you decide that you're going to do what's right. Until then…" He shook his head and left, slamming the door behind him.

Neville turned to look at the portraits of the headmasters from the past, looking specifically to Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall.

"What am I to do?"

"Ellis, d'you wanna play?" Pippa asked, setting up the game board. They'd found a table that could set over the bed so it was easy for Chase to take part in the games, letting Pippa sit on the other side on the bed and Ryleigh and Ellis to each pull up a chair.

"Nah, go ahead." Ellis had been staring at the fire since he came back. He felt a little bad about speaking to his grandfather like that, but at the same time he was still really mad. How could he let this go on? How could Neville, who'd lived through so many deaths and so much turmoil, allow anyone to go through this? This false hope, this lying… Ellis shook his head. He couldn't tell them yet why he was so upset, but he knew they'd find out sooner or later.

Pippa snuck up behind him and put her arms around him. He jumped slightly, but instead of making her laugh Pip frowned.

"What's wrong, then?"

"It's nothing."

"Well, obviously that's a lie." She walked around the chair and sat on the floor in front of him. "C'mon then, tell me."

Ellis looked into her open eyes, innocent and naïve. She'd never been forced to grow up, so she simply hadn't. She'd retained the childish belief that bad things didn't just happen, that there was always some reason behind it. Ellis had lost that a long time ago, when his grandmother and father both had been killed in a mugging near Knockturn Alley. He'd been forced to grow up really quickly then, because his mother had been so overwhelmed with grief. Once Neville had found out that Ellis had been the only one taking care of himself, his mother had been sent away on an 'extended vacation.' Ellis had lived with his grandfather while his mother had been in a mental hospital. He'd grown up in Hogwarts, making his bedroom in a hidden room in the castle, while Neville fulfilled his duties as headmaster. It hadn't been until he was 14 that Neville had finally told the boy that his mother hadn't been well in the head, and that she'd passed away.

He hadn't held it against his grandfather. He'd understood why it had happened. But now… well, it was inexcusable.

"Listen, It's… it's a bit of a downer. I don't want to ruin the mood."

"What mood? You've already ruined it, you might as well tell us why." Ryleigh spoke from her chair, where she shuffled the deck of cards necessary to play the game they'd been setting up.

"Well… alright. Just… give me a moment?"

Pip frowned but nodded. She slowly stood and walked back to the bed, where she gingerly set herself at the foot. She was always very careful when she climbed into it, but Chase still flinched slightly. He would never tell her not to do it, though; they were too close, and he felt much better when she was around.

"So… When I was coming back from the tower, I ran into Kane and Ollie." Ellis stood and turned toward his friends, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Those prats." Ryleigh muttered.

"They were perfectly polite to me." Ellis decided to bend the truth slightly, although he knew Ryleigh didn't believe him for a second. He didn't want to get Chase worked up, though. Neither did Ryleigh, fortunately, or she probably would have called him out on it. "But they wanted to know how Cole was doing, since I'd been in to see Chase. They didn't know that he was…"

"Dead? Why wouldn't they know, it's not as if they tried to hide it on the pitch. I mean, they were wailing, for crying out loud, how could they not…?" She trailed off as Ellis shook his head.

"That's why I went to find the Headmaster." They knew that he was angry as soon as he said the word, but they knew better than to interrupt. His eyes were fixed on the floor, his brow creased. "He told me that it was the Ministry's doing, that they were keeping it quiet until they knew more. So they somehow convinced the students that he hadn't been dead, I'm not really sure… Point is, they're pretending Cole's alive in here, and _he's _just letting 'em do it."

No one said anything for a minute, and Ellis looked up to see how they were taking it. Pippa stared at him for a moment before looking to see how Chase was taking it. Chase was angry; it hadn't taken him long to feel the injustice of it. It didn't matter who was Slytherin anymore; what mattered was that was another boy, just like him. Chase could have been the same, a death hidden behind heavy doors. Ryleigh looked more angry than Chase, if that was possible. She'd known Cole, unlike the rest of them. Even if she didn't acknowledge her Slytherin ties very often anymore, she still cared about them.

Pippa just stared at her brother fuming for a moment longer before turning back to Ellis. "Why would he do that?"

Ellis just shook his head. The pain in her eyes was touching and yet painful. She wanted everyone to be happy. She wanted bad things to have a reason, for good people to have good lives. After a moment, he smiled at her. "He just doesn't want people to panic, Pip. He wants to make sure the Ministry can catch the person responsible, that's all."

Pippa stared for a moment before nodding. "Well, that's good, I suppose. Right?"

"Yeah, Pip." Chase said quietly. "It's good. We just have to keep the secret for a while, yeah?"

"Yes." Pip nodded. "But that's really sad."

"It is. But we want to catch that guy."

"Yeah." Pip nodded again.

"So we'll play along for now." Ryleigh didn't seem happy about it, but that was fine; she was hardly ever happy about anything. So it didn't matter that she was absolute rubbish at lying.

"So… now that we all know, would you like to play?"

Ellis gave Pip a smile. "Sure Pip. What's the game?"

"Monopoly."

"And… what's that?"

"It's a game Chase and I picked up when we went on holiday with Mum and Dad last summer. We visited some of the places Dad used to go to all the time with his dad."

"They think it's important for us to keep some of the muggle culture in our lives, so we go every other summer." Chase explained.

"Ah. So this game… is it any fun?"

Pip beamed. "It's my favorite. Come on, I want to be the shoe."

Pip and Chase explained the game to Ryleigh and Ellis, and together they attempted to play, although it was difficult for Ellis and Ryleigh to catch on when Chase and Pip had hardly figured it out themselves. Finally Chase managed to win the game, although Ryleigh argued that obviously there had been cheating involved. They bantered until Chase got too worked up and forgot that he'd still injuries that needed healing. He tried to pull himself up to get in her face and cried out with pain before falling back to the pillows, his breathing heavy and sweat beading on his forehead. Then Madame Spinnet shooed both Ellis and Ryleigh out of the room, only just allowing Pippa to stay and even still forcing her away from Chase's bed for a while.

Ryleigh caught Ellis' sleeve once the door was shut behind them. "Why is it alright to protect her from this?"

"Excuse me?"

"We can't always protect Pip, can we? She needs to learn that the real world isn't a nice place."

"What, so you want her to be as depressed as the rest of us? I don't know about you, but I think we need to have someone who's not so torn apart by the world that she doesn't know how to smile anymore. Besides, I'm fairly certain that you told Chase she needed to be protected from me, yeah? So I feel like if she needs to be protected from me, than this definitely falls under the same category. And you know what? She needs to be there to tone you down. You're always yelling all the time, we need someone who isn't such a bitch, don't we?" There was more bitterness in his voice than the situation warranted, but he was too wound up.

"What did I do to you?"

"What haven't you done? You're always questioning whether I'm good enough or not, or comparing me to Chase to let me know I'm not as good as he is. Yeah, I get it, Chase is the golden boy and I'm the sidekick. Chase is a Potter on his mother's side and the most claim I've got is Longbottom, which really isn't saying all that much, is it? But you're not all that great either, are you? A Malfoy, not a very good name, is it? I may not have a very good name, but at least Longbottom's weren't ever Deatheaters. At least I've got that. Maybe that's why you disapprove of me, because deep down you'll always be a Slytherin and I'll always be a Gryffindor. Of course, so are Pip and Chase, so how do you fit here?"

"Shut _up_, Longbottom-"

"No, you know what? Whatever. Go tell her whatever you want, ruin her life. I'm sure you've got a fair bit of that, don't you? Practice? I'm sure your Grandda has been helping you out there, teaching you the best way to hurt people-"

Ellis was cut off as Ryleigh slapped him, leaving a dark red mark on his face. When he turned to look at her there were tears in her eyes, even though she was trying to hide it. She slapped him once more on the opposite cheek before pushing him aside and running down the hallway, her footsteps echoing in the empty building. It was late, and most of the students were already in bed. Like Ellis should have been, because then he wouldn't have hurt her like that.

Ellis gingerly touched his right cheek, feeling the sting that was left behind by Ryleigh's hand. Then he turned to the wall and slammed a fist into it, again and again until there was a blood stain on the wall and his knuckles were torn apart. Then he walked away. At first he thought about just going back to the dormitory, but then he would have to face either Ryleigh or people wondering after Chase, and he didn't want to deal with either. He really didn't feel like he had the right to talk to Ry, let alone see her. So instead he went in the opposite direction, to the second floor. There he headed straight until he came to the fifth left, turned, and walked straight toward the small bookshelf inside an abandoned classroom. One of the books on the bottom shelf contained a key that was then inserted in the small padlock that seemed to be attached to a lamp. The entire bookshelf shifted to the side. Then Ellis replaced the key, got on his knees, and crawled into what had been his room for the hardest times in his life.

It looked exactly how he remembered it; there was a small arm chair next to a fireplace, a bed in the opposite corner made up with blankets that his grandmother had made for him. The floor was covered in a variety of thick, soft rugs of different colors and shapes, thrown everywhere to cover the cold stone. The walls were filled with tapestries that depicted famous children's stories, some rather gruesome and others very lighthearted and colorful. He had very few toys, but those were confined to the corner next to the entrance; a few stuffed animals, a doll house that had been abandoned in one of the girls' dormitories, a toy car that moved around on its own, and stacks of books.

Ellis knelt by the fireplace and started it up, because the house elves didn't come in here. He had told them a long time ago that they didn't need to worry about cleaning his room, he'd do it on his own, and they had happily obliged, although he suspected the still did come in occasionally. There was virtually no dust on the surfaces, and everything as neatly arranged.

Ellis then pressed against the bookshelf and it closed itself. He picked up one of the books, practically fell into the armchair, and opened it to a page that had been dog-eared so many times that the corner was missing. All he did was stare at it, because this was a page that his father had once drawn a picture on. This book wasn't a picture book, but it had always been one of Ellis' favorites. So, one day as Ellis was reading the book, his father had asked to see it. Before Ellis could stop him, his father had drawn a picture of a lion after one of the chapters ended. Ellis had been so angry at the time, because he didn't want his book spoiled… now it was about the only thing Ellis had from the man.

He fell asleep looking at the picture, tracing the lines with his finger as he had done many times before.


	5. I Told You So

Ryleigh woke in the morning a week later still brimming with anger. How _dare_ Ellis say those things to her. How dare he act as if he was better because of his name. She turned over in bed, unwilling to face the day, but she knew there was no going back to sleep. She threw the blankets off of herself and pulled on some real clothes: a pair of skinny blue jeans and a T-shirt, putting a jacket over top and some converse on. They'd started up classes again, but today was a Saturday, so there was no reason to wear the uniform.

She skipped breakfast altogether, going instead to the hospital wing. Chase was awake, but Pippa was curled into a ball on the bed next to him, squeezing a small stuffed tiger. Chase nodded to her as she walked in. He had a tray of food in front of him, but he hadn't touched any of it yet. In fact, he looked a little ill. Ryleigh sat in the chair next to him and stole a piece of bacon off the tray.

"Not feeling so well?" Ryleigh asked.

"Not really, no. Madame Spinnet gave me some nasty medicine bright and early, and it's made me feel as if I'm about to hurl."

"More for me then."

"Hey, go get something for yourself."

"If you're not going to eat it, I think I should."

"I think you should lay off. I'm the one that's been hurt."

"Which is why you get to drink the nasty medicine and I get to eat breakfast." She stuck the piece of bacon in her mouth and chewed slowly. Chase glared for a moment, but he was forced to turn away as he gagged.

"That's really not at all fair." Chase said weakly.

"Yeah, well… I'm a Malfoy, so…" Chase didn't catch the meaning behind her words.

"Have you seen Ellis, by the way? He hasn't been around since that first day, Pip's been missing him."

"I-"

"Hello Ry." Pip sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. "Sleep well?"

"Not at all."

"Oh… sorry."

Ryleigh smiled and shook her head. "It wasn't your fault, silly girl."

"I know. I just wish you'd slept better." Pip's smile was genuine. Ryleigh just shook her head.

"You're too kind, Pip. Chase, are you feeling any better?" The blonde took another piece of bacon off of Chase's plate, smiling as he frowned.

"Now you ask, after you've been stealing my food?"

"I figured I'd better, in exchange for the second piece."

"Well, I am feeling better, thanks. Madame Spinnet told me I should be well enough to go back to the tower in a few days."

"Will you be able to play Quidditch then?"

"No, she's ordered me off the team for at least a few months, and then she'll check me again and decide if I get to play at all the rest of the year."

"I'm sorry Chase. I'm sure it'll be good."

"Yeah, hope so. That's why I was hoping to speak with Ellis, see if he'd start practices back up again. If you see him, will you tell him I'd like to speak with him?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Ry ry, d'you wanna go to the forest with me? I've been missing the Hippogriffs, and I'm sure that Professor Chaisty hasn't been rubbing them down well enough. He really tries, but they just don't really like him that well."

"Yeah, sure Pip. Will you be alright if we leave you alone?"

"I'd rather not have an audience when I ralph, so yeah, I'll be alright."

"I'll see you later, Chase." Pip smiled and gave him a quick hug before skipping to the door. She was a lot better lately. Ryleigh understood a little better why they weren't giving her the entire story. She felt a little bad for getting after Ellis about it, but not enough to go searching him out. She hadn't been the one yelling, she'd just asked a question… and she just tended to sound a little harsh when she spoke to most people, it wasn't her fault that he had taken it the wrong way.

Pip lead the way, checking to make sure Ryleigh was following every few steps. She was in a fantastic mood; Chase was getting better, and she'd gotten all the homework for classes finished, even though she hadn't attended any of them for a week. Ryleigh wasn't sure how much she'd seen Ellis, but apparently that wasn't going too badly, either, or Pip wouldn't have been in such a good mood.

It was getting chilly out, and the jacket that Ryleigh had put on didn't seem to block much of the wind that had come up. It hadn't snowed yet, but all of the grass was yellowing, and the leaves on the trees were beginning to change color. It was beautiful out, if not for the chill. The walk to the Gamekeeper's hut was a short one, and the brunette skipped the entire way. Suddenly, though, she stopped for a moment, waved, and started to run down the hill. Ryleigh didn't understand until she saw Ellis catch Pip in his arms and spun her around. Pip laughed loudly and grinned as he set her back on the ground, wrapping her in a hug.

"Where have you been hiding, Ellis? I've missed you." Ryleigh rolled her eyes as she continued down the hill, stopping a few feet away from the two.

"Just busy. I knew you weren't able to take care of the Hippogriffs, so I was doing that, and then there's the school work, and…" He trailed off and shrugged. His gaze flicked up to Ryleigh and then down again, a small frown on his face.

"Well, I was just going to go brush them down. Did you do that? They always need a good brushing down, they run around so much."

"No, I didn't even think…" Ellis sighed. "Sorry, Pip."

"Why are you sorry? Come on, let's go do it now. Come on Ry ry, let's go find the Hippogriffs!" Pippa took Ellis' hand in one of hers and then gestured for Ryleigh to come take the other. She wasn't aware of how awkward it was for the two that hadn't spoken for a week, and they most certainly didn't want to talk about it: Ryleigh felt like a child, and Ellis was all too ashamed of what he'd said. So Ryleigh took Pip's offered hand and together they made their way to the edge of the forest, avoiding Professor Chaisty. Pip didn't mind him, but it was always awkward when he caught her doing his job.

The Hippogriffs always came to Pip; all she had to do was whistle and they would come as fast as they could. She was good friends with most of the creatures here. That was probably due in part to the fact that she didn't have many human friends, but it didn't bother her anymore. She was happier this way, she'd decided, because she'd watched the people with friends work hard to impress them. All she had to do to impress the animals was groom them, feed them, and be around them.

As Pip talked to the Hippogriffs and pulled a brush from her pocket, Ryleigh sat against a tree and Ellis stood awkwardly where he was. Finally, he told himself to stop being such a coward and he sat next to Ryleigh.

"What." Ryleigh didn't look at him, hardly acknowledged that he'd sat down next to her.

"Listen, what I said last week-"

"Just because I'm a Malfoy doesn't mean I enjoy hurting people, alright?"

"I-"

"And maybe Malfoys have a bad rep, but you know what? We've been trying to get over that. My dad is a good man, and not only did he marry a Hufflepuff, something my grandfather thought was awful in itself, my mum is a muggle born. And every time my grandfather sees her, he calls her a mudblood and openly wonders why his son was idiotic enough to marry her. I have to live with the Deatheater part of our family, and I don't enjoy it. I don't need to be reminded of it."

"I know. I… I'm sorry. I wanted to apologize, I didn't have the right-"

"No you didn't. And you know what else? I… I don't mean to compare you to Chase. He's just…"

"He's perfect, I know."

"I wasn't going to say that."

"Why not? All the girls do."

"Yeah, well… He's Pippa's brother, isn't he? So it's weird if I think that."

"I think that."

Ryleigh stared at Ellis for a long moment before she asked, "Are you gay?"

Ellis, instead of being insulted, laughed. He knew what she'd think. "No. But I mean, he's nice and handsome, and the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. If I could be anyone… "

"He's a bit of a blockhead. I'd choose the Ravenclaw captain if you're keen on that, because at least he's intelligent as well."

"He's got the crooked nose, though, and the muddy eyes…"

"I suppose you're right. While Chase is a bit on the dumb side, at least he's easy on the eyes."

Ellis just shook his head. "Are we good?"

"We're good. How are you and Headmaster Longbottom getting on?"

Ellis dropped his gaze. "I haven't spoken to him yet. I told him to find me when he'd decided to stop following the Ministry's orders, but I kind of hoped he'd come find me anyway."

"You could go to him, you know."

"Yeah, but… well, that just feels like losing, doesn't it? I lose to Chase often enough, I don't need to lose to my Grandda as well."

"Wow, you really are sore about Chase, aren't you?"

Ellis gave her a small smile. "I just don't want to be in Potter's shadow, you know? That's kind of been my family, and I want it to change. I want to be my own person, not that boy that is there when the hero needs it but then falls to the background for the rest of the story. But so far, no luck on that front."

"I'm sure one day you'll grow up into your own man."

Ellis frowned at Ryleigh. "Thanks, that means so much to me."

"You're welcome."

"You aren't very helpful, you know." Pippa called as she started brushing down the last Hippogriff. The other two just nickered and butted their heads against her, demanding more attention.

"I didn't want to mess it up for you." Ryleigh told her, not moving an inch.

"Pretty sure they'd bite you, anyhow." Pip answered. The little insult made Ellis laugh, but suddenly Ryleigh had been challenged. She stood quickly and brushed off her jeans.

"They wouldn't dare."

Pip laughed quietly as Ryleigh slowly approached on of the animals. They'd learned how to approach Hippogriffs in Care of Magical Creatures class, but that had been two years ago for Ryleigh. The blonde stopped a few feet away and bowed at the waist. After a few seconds, Ryleigh glanced up to see the Hippogriff – a black beauty named Sunfeather – was staring at her. Ryleigh jumped backwards just before Sunfeather could catch skin in her teeth.

Ellis just laughed as Pippa tried to calm the animal and Ryleigh cursed. It didn't take long for Pippa to get Sunfeather and the other Hippogriffs under control, but Ryleigh was still cursing for a few minutes after.

Pippa finally decided it was too chilly to spend more time outside, although Ellis suspected she got uneasy being away from Chase while he was in hospital. So they began the walk back to the hospital together, but they didn't get far.

"Pippa, could you wait a minute?" Professor Chaisty was standing in the door of the hut, waving an arm.

"Yes, Professor." Pip answered like the good student she was. Ellis rolled his eyes and Ryleigh snorted. "What?"

"He's such a _prat_. How can you stand him?" Ryleigh moaned.

"He is not! He's a nice man, he's just… well, he didn't have the same schooling as we did, so-"

"Can you even really call Salem a school?"

"Yes! He's very educated in all sorts of things, and very well, too. He's told me about all kinds of creatures that are native to the states, and he's even promised to bring a few of them over for one of our classes sometime. Not to stay, but so we can see them."

"I think he's really intelligent." Ellis said quietly.

Ryleigh glared at him, but Pippa's face lit up. "See?"

"Oh yeah. My problem with him is he's a little too interested in Pip." Ellis was serious, but Ryleigh started laughing.

"You're right, I never thought about that."

"Stop it!" Pip's voice was indignant, the closest she came to anger. "I'm just the only student that takes his class seriously, so he likes to share it with me. And I like animals, so it's nice…

"He does ask for you an awful lot though. Specifically."

"That's because I know a lot about animals!"

"I'm sure there are others with the same kind of knowledge." Ellis' face was creased in a frown.

"But I'm comfortable with these animals, and they know me! They like me."

"I'm not sure that's the reason." Ryleigh was still laughing quietly, but Pip could see the jealousy deep in Ellis' eyes. He wasn't very good at hiding it, but he was trying exceptionally hard just then.

"He's just a professor."

"He's not like our normal professors though, is he? He's young and fit and he's into… well, he likes animals, obviously."

"You don't think that Pip is in love with him? Ugh, that's nasty."

Ellis just stared at Pip, and Ryleigh realized quickly that her commentary wasn't necessary. Before Pippa could answer, Professor Chaisty rushed down the steps of the hut, still buttoning a black peacoat up to his throat. He shoved his hands into his pockets and hurried toward Pippa, completely ignoring Ryleigh and Ellis.

"Pippa, I was just wondering if you could help me out with the Unicorns. They've been a little restless, but they always calm down when you're around."

"Er…" Pippa looked at Ellis. "I'll meet you guys later, yeah? I won't be long, they usually just need someone to come talk to them for a while."

"Pip…" Ryleigh shook her head. What had seemed something good to joke about moments before had turned into something completely wrong on too many levels.

"If she wants to go, it's her choice." Ellis nodded once, as if deciding that for himself, before turning his attention to Ryleigh. "Should we go make sure Chase hasn't died of boredom yet?"

"Yeah, sure." Ryleigh looked back and forth between the two before shrugging. Ellis walked away without saying anything, and Pippa did the same. Ryleigh sighed heavily and followed Ellis back to the castle, leaving Pippa in the now questionable company of Professor Chaisty.

Ellis didn't say anything for a while, so finally Ryleigh decided to address the situation verbally. "So… we're going to leave her alone with the guy you suspect likes her more than a professor should? That seems… well, not the brightest. I'm starting to wonder if Chase really is the dumb one in the group."

"I'm not in charge of her."

"But she's naïve and probably wouldn't know the difference between having a pleasant chat and being snogged, if she thought it was just friendly."

"So what, everyone's daft beside you?"

"I'm just saying-"

"You hadn't even thought it until I said something." Ellis sounded resigned and a little sad now, not at all argumentative.

"Well… yeah, but now that I know… Come on, it's got to bother you, at least a little bit."

"Obviously. Why would I have brought it up otherwise?"

"I mean, if it bothers you…"

"Like I said, I'm not in charge of her. And like _you_ said, we can't protect her from the world. Come on, make up your mind."

Ryleigh didn't say anything for a moment. Then she nodded. "As long as you're alright with this."

"It's still not up to me. Let's just not talk about it, yeah? Besides, we haven't gone on a proper date yet, I can't act like we're in a real relationship."

"Bah."

"You're certainly easy to get along with."

"Only occasionally." Ryleigh grinned at him and he chuckled.

Chase was equally surprised that Ellis had voluntarily left Pip with the dubious professor, even though he didn't share Ellis' opinion. That could have been because Chase was used to receiving things from girls who liked him, but there was no point arguing it with him.

It was several hours before Pippa burst through the doors of the hospital wing, her face flushed. She doors slammed shut behind her and she walked slowly to her friends. No one said anything as Ellis pulled a chair up for her and she practically fell into it. There was a cut across her cheek and blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.

"I'm sorry Ellis. You were right."

"It doesn't matter, Pip." Ellis sat in front of her chair and took her hands in his.

"It does, though. We were walking back out of the forest. The unicorns had seemed fine, but I stayed with them just to be sure. I didn't want to leave them agitate, because you know how they get."

"We don't, actually." Ryleigh muttered, but Chase and Ellis both shot her a glare before Ellis urged Pippa to continue, with some reluctance.

"So I just stayed with them until I thought they were fine before asking Professor Chaisty to walk me back, because it was getting cloudy and dark and while I love the creatures of the forest, not all of them love people. And… well, he did. But before we were out of the forest, he…" Pippa stared at her hands as tears ran down her face. Ellis moved to sit awkwardly on the arm of the chair in order to wrap his arms around the crying girl.

"You're alright Pip." Ellis said quietly in what he hoped was a soothing voice, although his anger was catching up with him rather quickly.

"But then he pushed me against a tree and kiss me and made my lip bleed and I didn't know what to do, I just reacted, I used my wand and jinxed him and ran but I think I hurt him, I assaulted a teacher and I ran back here but what if I get expelled, what'll I do?" The words came out in a rush as Pip sobbed. Ellis just hugged her tighter, but he was angry. He looked at Chase, who was staring fixedly at the bed next to him.

"Chase, as much as you'd like to beat him up, you aren't allowed to leave here." Ryleigh grinned. "However, nothing's stopping me from breaking that mudbl- that Yank's face." Ryleigh stopped herself saying the insult she was used to hearing from her grandfather. It seemed to make her angrier. "However, I am willing to dedicate… a slap to you. Like, 'This is for Chase,' and _whack_ right across the face. Ellis, can I dedicate anything to you?"

"I'll do it myself, thanks." Ellis slid off the chair after disentangling himself from Pippa.

"No, please don't." Pippa begged quietly, but her tear soaked face was emphasized with blood and red eyes. It only served to rile them further instead of calm them.

"You can't make me stay." Chase muttered, pulling himself to the side of the bed and throwing his feet over the edge. He cringed slightly, and if not for Ryleigh pushing him backward he would have fallen to the floor, flat on his face.

"Maybe we can't, but your dizzy spells certainly can. We'll give you the play-by-play, don't worry." Ryleigh grinned at Chase before turning to Ellis. "Can we kill him? Or at least seriously maim?"

Ellis didn't answer Ryleigh's question; he simply strode through the doors and began walking toward the Entrance Hall, determined to at least exchange words with the professor. It was unacceptable on so many levels.

Ryleigh followed Ellis, although she got much quieter once Pip wasn't around. Ellis could feel the anger rolling off of her, as well; while Pip didn't need to be protected from everything, she still needed friends to stand up for her. She was naïve; she needed people to help her out when things went bad. Now, maybe beating Professor Chaisty to a bloody pulp wasn't the best way to help her out, but it was the only thing her friends could think to do at the time.

Ellis was about to push the doors open when he heard footsteps that were not Ryleigh's behind them. He glanced over his shoulder quickly to look, and then completely turned when he saw Neville standing behind them.

"Headmaster Longbottom." Ellis said quietly.

"Ellis, where are you going?"

"Nowhere, Headmaster."

"You weren't going to see Professor Chaisty, then?"

"Why would I do that, sir?"

Neville just looked at him for a long moment before shaking his head. "Because you want to defend your friend Pip."

"I don't know what you're talking about, sir." Ellis stared back at his grandfather defiantly, his chin tilted up just slightly. Ryleigh stood awkwardly to the side, unsure if this was a quarrel between those two specifically or if she should add her input as well. After all, she wanted to go beat up the Yank as well, but somehow this seemed to be about their other problems.

"Ellis, there's no need for you to go; Professor Chaisty has already come to me and admitted his guilt. He's been put on an undetermined leave, until we have come to a final decision."

"I'm sorry to hear that, headmaster. I was hoping to have a conversation with him."

Headmaster Longbottom frowned. "Ellis, you don't have to-"

"Excuse me, Professor." Ellis started walking away, leaving Ryleigh staring at the headmaster.

"Er, sorry about him, he's a little… well, ya see, he and Pip… yeah. I'm going to go now." Ryleigh darted after Ellis, feeling super uncomfortable.

Ryleigh caught up with Ellis as he turned in the opposite direction of the hospital wing. She paused at the corner for a moment before following Ellis.

"So, yeah, I want to kill him too, I totally get it. But since he's already been reprimanded and is on his way out, I'm not sure it's worth being expelled over."

"Ryleigh, you don't have to come with me."

The blonde frowned. "Well, I'm not going to miss _you_ beating someone up, I just wanted to warn you that _I_ wasn't going to be expelled for it."

"I won't be expelled." Ellis muttered.

"Well shoot. Maybe I shouldn't go with you then." But she continued to follow him, keeping pace but staying a few steps behind.

Ellis continued until he found an empty wall. Ryleigh was about to say something, but suddenly an ornate door seemed to rise from the stone. Ellis opened it and strode inside, leaving it open for Ryleigh to follow.

She frowned again before following him into the mystery room, wondering how on earth Ellis had found this.


	6. Lend Me Your Ear

The room behind the door was huge with no other doors, and there were mirrors on all of the walls to add to the space. In the middle of the room hung a black punching bag with the Hogwarts crest in gold, and obviously it had been well used. Ellis walked to a small table against one of the walls next to a red and gold chair, the only two pieces of furniture in the room.

Ryleigh slowly walked down the steps that led down to the hard cement floor, looking at the space around her. Ellis was wrapping his hands with white bandages, it looked like, and it only took Ryleigh a moment to figure out what he was doing.

"I always wondered where you disappeared to." She said as she looked at herself in the mirror, but she saw Draco in her expression and turned away. "And also why you didn't ever punch someone. You get crazy mad sometimes, and then you just… don't punch people. And that's weird."

"It's weird that you think I should punch people." Ellis flexed his hands a few times before slowly walking to the middle of the room. He took a deep breath before he began hitting it; slowly at first, easy, but working up speed and force. The punching bag didn't give very much as he hit it, even as he slammed his fists into it over and over again. Ryleigh didn't interrupt: she figured she didn't want to get beat like the bag was. Ellis went at it hard for at least ten minutes, sweat dripping from his forehead, but he didn't seem to notice the effort. It was only when his breathing got harsh that he paused, and that was only to go pick up a water bottle. After he'd gotten his throat wet, he went right back to beating at the defenseless, inanimate object.

Finally, Elis stopped, his breath coming in harsh gasps. His clothes were completely soaked through with sweat, his hair stuck to his forehead in clumps.

"So… does that help?" Ryleigh asked after a moment. Ellis' mouth curled into a grin.

"Just a little." He answered, although judging from the look on his face it was more help than he admitted.

"I see."

Ellis took a large drink from his water bottle before unwrapping his hands. "I'm still mad, but… well, there's no danger of my beating that Chaisty bastard to a pulp."

"So… you're a mad man, then? D'you turn green sometimes, pull off your shirt as your muscles grow?" When Ellis answered with a confused frown, Ryleigh sighed and shook her head. "Nevermind. I just never pegged you as the 'anger management issues' type."

"That's kind of the point." Ellis flexed his hands before taking another drink. "Grand- Headmaster Longbottom showed me this place when he realized I had… issues. Well, Fred helped. He knows most of the secrets of the castle. He claims all, but I'm sure there are still more."

"You and Fred are close."

"I thought you'd picked that up already, after how many years?"

"I just didn't realize how much history you had, I guess."

"Fred was my first friend after I… well, after I moved in. So yeah."

"Yeah." Ryleigh almost had a heart attack as Fred spoke behind her. "And Ellis is the only one that will help me out. Speaking of helping out…" Fred grinned and turned his attention to Ellis.

"No. You don't get to bring it up because it relates to something you said." Ellis crossed his arms and shook his head.

"That's not a rule."

"It's an implied rule."

"Doesn't count. So, George and Ron and I have been working on this new product, and I think the Slytherin common room would be the perfect place to test it…"

"Hey now." Ryleigh cut in, ignoring the look that Fred gave her. "I have friends there, I don't want you messing with them just because you're a Gryffindor."

"Look at Ryleigh, being all noble." Ryleigh elbowed Ellis. "Hey now, no need to be abusive."

"There's always need with you."

"_Anyway_." Fred cut into the banter before it could begin. "Whether you like Slytherin or not has nothing to do with it. Point is, they're located in the dungeons. With no windows. It'll be perfect."

"I suppose nowhere else would be perfect?"

"Have you been in all of the common rooms?"

"Have you?"

"Yes."

Ellis frowned. "Fred, you know you aren't supposed to-"

"Yeah yeah, but that's one of the perks of being a ghost, isn't it? So anyway, it's this new powder, a modification of the Peruvian Darkness Power. It does the same thing, except…"

"Except what?" Ryleigh frowned when Fred only smiled.

"Ellis, you in?" Fred's grin grew.

Ellis thought for only a few seconds before nodding. "Yeah, I guess. As long as I don't get caught. I don't want to go to the headmaster's office again."

"Ellis, we'll get caught." Ryleigh warned.

"We'll?"

"Well, yeah, I enjoy pranking them as much as the next guy. Girl. Whatever."

Fred's grin was ridiculous.

* * *

"It's right in there." Fred could hardly contain his excitement as he pointed to the final door that they had to go through.

"We're gonna get caught." Ryleigh muttered, but she was the one holding the powder. She'd complained the entire time they'd been plotting, but Ellis had seen the wicked gleam of excitement in her eyes. He'd made a mental note never to get on her bad side, because she could be absolutely devious.

"Only if you keep complaining." Ellis stated, but Ryleigh completely ignored him.

"All we have to do is throw it in there?" Ryleigh asked. Fred nodded, his eyes sparkling.

"It should set itself off as soon as it hits something, and then we hide."

"Where exactly are we supposed to hide?" Ryleigh asked, and Fred disappeared. She snorted and shook her head. "Typical ghost. Leave us to take the heat." And still she was grinning.

"On your count, then?" Ellis asked, wrapping his fingers around the knob of the door. Ryleigh nodded.

"One… Two… _Go_." Ellis opened the door just enough so Ryleigh could throw the small black ball of powder into the room, and as soon as it cleared the frame Ellis slammed the door shut and they both ran down the hallway. A tapestry hung around a corner, and Ryleigh was the first to reach it, only beating Ellis by seconds. There was a nice indent in the wall behind it, so they were able to stand there without pushing at the fabric. As long as no one was actively looking for them, they'd be safe.

The screams that echoed down the hallway were deeply satisfying. Ryleigh couldn't help the giggle that burst from her lips, and Ellis, shocked by the sound, started to chuckle as well. Soon both were laughing whole heartedly, stopping only when they heard footsteps run by.

"I want to see." Ryleigh whispered.

"You were the one worried about getting caught."

"Yeah, but what's the point if you don't get to see the looks on their faces? Come on, please?"

Ellis didn't answer, but he slowly pulled the edge of the tapestry back and peeked past the tassels on the edge. Ryleigh did the same, watching as Kane Davis ran by. His eyes were a little terrified, and after he passed both Ryleigh and Ellis couldn't stop the laughter. They both ducked back behind the tapestry before they were seen.

Kane had a bright orange, fluffy fox tail sticking out of his trousers.

"They've outdone themselves this time. It's too…"

"Beautiful." Ryleigh finished Ellis' statement with a face splitting grin on her face. "I almost wish I'd been in there. A tail could come in handy."

"I'm sure that's what Kane's thinking. And I'm sure Madame Spinnet will be of the same opinion when she has to remove them."

"Why would you remove them? They're so adorable!"

Ellis just rolled his eyes and they both peeked out from the tapestry again, to watch more Slytherins run away with their tails between their legs. Literally.

It was late before they were able to make it out of the dungeons without being seen, and even then they were almost caught by a sixth year that happened to be heading to the hospital wing to take care of a particularly ugly rat tail. They'd barely avoided confrontation by skittering into one of Ellis' hiding places. They laughed all the more as they watched him pass them by, completely confused, before he caught sight of his tail again and hurried off.

They decided it was best to avoid the hospital wing until the prank was all sorted out, so instead they made their way to the common room. They slid into the nearest chairs and sank into a fit of laughter, recounting the events as if they hadn't just experienced them together. It was only when Pippa came to sit on Ellis' knee did they realize that both Pippa and Chase were in the common room, Chase sitting with his leg propped up in an armchair by the fire.

"Chase!" Ellis exclaimed, and Pippa frowned at him, playfully pushing against his shoulder. "I mean, I'm glad you're here too, Pip, it's just… I thought you weren't supposed to be out for a few more days, at least?"

"Apparently there was a burst of students with an outbreak of tails, and suddenly there wasn't a whole lot of room for a Quidditch player with a bum leg."

"But you're still banned from classes?" Ryleigh asked. Suddenly she seemed a lot calmer, losing the lighthearted air she'd had moments before.

"Yeah, until Tuesday, at least. Madame Spinnet said she'll be back to check on me on Tuesday, and after that she'll tell me if she thinks I'll get to play Quidditch."

"But you will. I know it." Pippa grinned. She seemed in a lot better mood now that Chase was back where he belonged, instead of the sterile, empty hospital wing. Chase seemed better as well: there was more color in his cheeks, and his eyes didn't seem as heavy. If he was allowed to be here, it couldn't be that bad, could it?

"We'll see." Chase didn't sound too optimistic, but Pippa was certain it was just because he'd been on bed rest for far too long. "But as I'm sure you two were both present, why did the Slytherin house all have tails?"

Ryleigh smirked and Ellis flushed slightly. Ryleigh stood and sauntered over to an empty armchair next to the fire, excited to retell the adventure they'd had. Ellis was a little less eager, but he scooped Pippa up and chuckled as she laughed a little too loudly. He sat on a small loveseat and held her on his lap, not letting her leave. Then he cleared his throat and attempted to bring Chase and Pip up to speed.

"Well… Fred was looking for someone to help him test a new product for the store… and apparently it had to be somewhere enclosed, so naturally…"

"We bombed the Slytherin common room and scared them all to pieces." Ryleigh sounded proud of herself, the wicked gleam back in her eyes.

"And… they grew tails?" Pippa frowned.

"Yeah. Apparently that's one of the side effects. It's pretty awesome. Kane had a beautiful fluffy fox tail, admittedly I was a tad jealous."

"Yeah… I wish we would have known it would clog up the hospital, though. I would have told Fred to wait a bit if I had."

"Well, I'm glad it got me out of there. I'd already counted all the cracks in the ceiling, and I was about to move on to the number of freckles on my face."

"I would have been curious to hear how many." Ryleigh grinned impishly, obviously still too proud of herself for her part in the pranking. Chase just glowered at the girl.

"I'm glad you're back, Chase." Ellis said, nodding at his friend.

"Thanks."

Pippa just beamed, her arms still wrapped Ellis. Both of her boys were safe and where they belonged. She couldn't have asked for better.

Bandit ran down the stairs from the dormitory, carrying a small toy mouse between her teeth. She dropped it at Pippa's feet and walked a slow circle before sitting down, wrapping her fluffy tail around her front paws. Pippa smiled and picked up the mouse, throwing it and watching the kitten chase it, picking it up again and running away.

"Your cat is a dog." Ryleigh turned her gaze to Ellis. "Did you know you were buying a dog?"

"She's not a dog, she just enjoys fetch." Pippa stuck her tongue out at the blonde, a sure sign that she was in a much better frame of mind than she had been for the past week.

"Whatever." Ryleigh rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "I think she's a dog."

"Is not! She's too adorable to be a dog."

"Dogs can be adorable too! I had a gorgeous German Shepard, and he was a lot more useful than your silly cat."

"Ah, so you admit she's a cat." Ellis grinned as Ryleigh's face crinkled into a frown.

"Shut up, kid, you're not part of this."

"Kid? Did you just call me kid? The little fifth year called me a kid-"

"You're fine, Longbottom. In fact, get over it."

"What'd I miss, kids?" Ellis groaned as Fred appeared, probably intentionally choosing the word to aggravate his friend.

"Did you know that all the Slytherins would get tails?" Ellis asked. Fred's impish grin almost matched Ryleigh's as he nodded. He moved as if he was going to sit next to Ellis, crossing his legs and putting his hands behind his head.

"It was a potential effect."

"You should have told me."

"And ruined all the fun? I think you enjoyed it."

Ryleigh nodded. "It was brilliant, Fred."

"Thank you, milady. Although I am sorry, Chase…" He trailed off as he noticed that Chase had fallen asleep. Pippa frowned and scooted off Ellis' lap.

"Would you mind…? I'd rather he didn't sleep in the chair, he'll be awful cranky in the morning."

"No problem." Ellis smiled at her and rose, kneeling next to his friend. "Hey, Chase-y, you ready to go to bed?"

Chase jumped, startled, and frowned. "I fell asleep?"

"You were out."

"Huh. I don't even feel tired."

"You need more sleep, since you're healing." Fred piped up. When several of the assembled friends gave him funny looks, he shrugged. "You have to learn some things if you live at a school."

"I don't need to go to sleep-" Chase's protest was cut off by a yawn, long and loud.

"Just go to bed, Chase. We'll find you in the morning." Pippa smiled at her brother, who just nodded.

"Alright." Ellis helped him to stand, letting him rise slowly so he didn't have to put much pressure on his bad leg. Then, leaning heavily on Ellis, he hobbled up to the dormitories. Pippa was a little concerned about the slight pain on his face, but she also knew that was just part of the healing. She slumped into the loveseat and sighed.

"He's fine, Pip." Ryleigh muttered, a little worried for her friend. "Just a little sore still."

"I know." But obviously none of her fear was alleviated. She wasn't used to her brother being the one to worry about. As they were growing up, she'd always been the fragile one. She'd been sick, or she'd scraped herself up badly, or she was scared. Chase was the strong one. And whenever Chase had been sick, Pippa had been sick with the same thing at the same time, usually worse. So to be in a situation where Chase was the one in pain and she was perfectly alright.

As there wasn't much anyone could do, no one said anymore on the subject.

"I've got a meeting with Ron and George tonight, I better be off." Fred suddenly disappeared, leaving the two girls alone. Ryleigh suspected he just felt awkward, but she didn't say anything about that to Pip. The smaller girl would only be upset that she made him feel that way.

"How are you and Ellis?" Ryleigh asked finally, because the few minutes of silence had been too much. She didn't want to talk about their relationship, but she was really at a loss. And besides, Ellis seemed to cheer Pippa up.

"Fine, I s'pose. We haven't really done anything yet."

"Well, tell him to take you out to butterbeer. I thought that's the first thing he asked you to do?"

"Yeah… we've just been busy, you know? And then with Chase…" She looked at the floor, but in a moment she raised her eyes again and smiled. "But maybe we can go tomorrow. I'm sure Headmaster Longbottom won't mind if we go after classes are over. You know what? I want to take him to a movie!"

"A… movie?"

"Yeah! It's this thing muggles do, they go to this big theater and they watch movies on the big screen and eat popcorn. Chase and I went with mom and dad once, just because it was something dad had done with his friends as a kid. And he and mom went on a date there once, and mom said it was one of the best dates they had." Pippa beamed, her mood cheered just thinking about it. Ryleigh smiled and nodded.

"Sounds fun. You should tell him."

"I will!"

"Tell me what?" Ellis trudged down the stairs and fell onto the couch beside Pippa, spreading his arms across the back.

"We should go to a movie sometime!"

"A movie?"

"It'll be fun! Please? It can be our second date, after the butterbeers."

"Yeah… yeah sure." Ellis couldn't stop the smile on his face. Pippa's mood was contagious.

Ellis leaned toward Pippa, and Ryleigh turned her attention to the fire place to avoid what was sure to be a kiss.

"Sorry guys, I lied, no meeting." Fred appeared in between the two, and immediately they both pulled away. Pippa's face flushed a dark red, and Ellis' was only a few shades lighter. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Nothing important." Ryleigh grinned at the ghost.

"Good." He was going to continue, but Bandit came running back, holding her prize between her teeth. Pippa smiled at the cat and reached out a hand, but what dropped into her fingers wasn't the toy mouse. The girl screamed and dropped what appeared to be a human ear. Immediately Ellis was up and wrapping his arms around her, prepared to defend her from whatever came, and Ryleigh had her wand out and ready. When they saw what had caused Pippa's shriek, Ellis turned a little green, and even Ryleigh didn't seem to handle it too well.

"Maybe I will go find George, after all. He's been looking for one of those."

**AN: Sorry it's been so long! Muse and I aren't exactly friends lately. But anyhow, thanks for reading! Please review, that's ever so helpful!**


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